


Silent Enemy

by vulpinewizard



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-09-06 23:30:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 66,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8773741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpinewizard/pseuds/vulpinewizard
Summary: The citizens of Zootopia know that their world is one of logic and order. But when officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde discover that there is more to their world than anticipated, they will need help from an unexpected source if they are to defend the city from an enemy most mammals don't even believe exists. An homage to the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.





	1. Long Odds

“Come on, say it.”

 

“No”

 

“Come on Carrots.”

 

“No way Nick, it wasn’t a fair bet.”

 

The vulpine snorted as he turned his gaze toward his partner; the pair had been cruising the streets of downtown Zootopia as they went about their patrol. It had been a quite night and for the past hour, a steady rain had fallen. Comfortably ensconced in their cruiser, they had avoided the worst of the weather. If it weren’t for the all-encompassing boredom, it would have been a pleasant night.

 

Nick raised his eyebrows at the doe, as one ear flicked over his shoulder. 

 

“Fine.” Judy clenched her teeth and sucked in a breath. “Laverne,” she said through a grimace.

Nick smirked in his oh so frustrating way, and took a sip of his coffee.

 

Pulling over to the side of the street, she turned to look at the vexing vulpine. “Nick, what are you thinking,” Judy hissed.

 

Adopting a shocked expression and putting a paw to his chest as if to say, “What me?”

 

Judy’s ears fell behind her back as her head slumped into the steering wheel.

 

“I was just thinking that your middle name is just too cu...”

 

Judy cut him off by raising a warning finger, “Don’t...”

 

“Hey, I didn’t say anything about YOU being cute. I was just going to say that your middle NAME was cute.”

 

Judy bumped her head against the wheel again.

 

“Dumb fox,” she muttered under breath.

 

Nick snickered as he took another sip of his drink. He didn’t plan on pushing his partner any more for the time being. Any good hustler could tell you that the important thing wasn’t how often you could pull one over a mark, it was how much mileage you could get out of them. He chuckled again, unable to help himself, and said “Judith Laverne Hopps.”

 

Judy sighed in frustration. In the two years since the fox had become her partner, she had learned to deal with his constant teases and needling. In truth, she found those traits rather endearing, but tonight she couldn’t stay engaged in their usual banter. The conversation they had earlier in the day as they headed into work was still troubling her. The boring patrol hadn’t helped, as the rain and long periods of silence lent themselves a little too well towards the type of introspection she was trying to avoid. She found herself wishing for something to happen, just to let her work out some of her frustration.

 

As if on cue, their cruisers’ radio chirped. “Dispatch to cruiser 113, please respond.” Clawhauser’s voice came like a ray of sunshine to the gloomy rabbit, as she leaned over to collect the remote speaker from the cruiser’s console.

 

“Officer Hopps, what’s the situation, over.”

 

“We just received a report of a 10-91 over off Chestnut and Stork. Please respond.”

 

Judy frowned, “Copy. Officers Hopps and Wilde en route.”

She turned to her partner, whose ears had fallen all the way back on his head. He reached a hand up to scratch the spot behind his head between his ears, and swallowed.

 

“Uh carrots, is that what I think it is?”

 

Judy nodded. “Predator gone savage.”

 

Nick swallowed again. Reaching back beneath the seat of their cruiser, he retrieved the elephant grade tranquilizer guns. Meanwhile Judy sped the Cruiser towards their destination, turning on the siren and light bar on top their cruiser. A predator gone savage, she thought, her anxiety making itself known as a fluttering in her chest, and ice in her bowels. To think that only a moment ago, she had been wishing for something exciting to happen. “Dumb Bunny,” she muttered under her breath.

 

* * *

 

 

They reached the junction of Chestnut and Stork in less than five minutes. Nick had to give his partner credit where it was do, the bunny could drive. Tossing open the door, Nick slid down his seat to the ground. His partner did likewise on the opposite side of the cruiser, and together, they assessed the situation.

 

This section of town, called Old Zootopia by the city's’ residents, had once been the very image of grace and sophistication. The architecture harkened back to an age of ostentatious displays of wealth, with stained glass windows and wrought iron balconies jutting out of the two story homes. Over the years, the wealthier residents of the city had gone elsewhere to build their homes, and Old Zootopia fell into disrepair. Many mammals still called this part of town home, but its former grandeur was lost as the maintenance costs of the elaborate decorations far outstripped its resident’s ability to pay. Now, Old Zootopia stood as a testament to times gone by.

 

A tinny roar ripped through the night air, as the rain continued to fall. Both cops swiveled to get their bearings, Judy pointed, her sense of hearing being better suited to navigating towards the bouncing echoes still reverberating in the air. The pair set off, tranquilizers at the ready.

Judy took point, and gestured for her partner to keep quiet and cover her back. In truth, such gestures were hardly necessary. Over the years, they had learned to anticipate each other’s moves, Nick fell into his role as support, his greater height allowing him a clear line of sight over his more diminutive partner. There was another roar, as well as the sound of scraping talons on sheet metal, which left a buzzing in Judy’s ears. The sound had come from an alley between two sets of old houses, their paint peeling from the brick in fat strips. Pressing her form against the crumbling porch of a nearby house, she lowered her ears and gasped at the scene in front of her.

 

The creature, for it could not be confused for a mammal, was crouched over the prostrate form of some kind of white furred mammal. Instead of fur, the creature was covered in some kind of black carapace. Its front arms ending in wickedly sharp looking hooks. The creature was using those hooks to maul the poor mammal under it, dripping spittle from a maw ringed in sharp fangs. Once again, the creature bellowed out its roar, the alien sound sending a shiver of pure terror down Judy’s spine.

 

Nck took a sharp breath as he too saw the creature before them.“What… what the hell is that,” His eyes wide, ears lying flat on his skull.

“I-I don’t know, but we have a duty to serve and protect.”

 

Nick nodded, blew out a breath, and shouldered the tranquilizer. Judy did likewise, and took aim. She had always been a good shot; Living on a farm, she had learned to shoot at the tender age of 5. Her father teaching her the basics, bracing the weapon, letting out her breath, and easing the trigger back. Her shot was good, the dart from her rifle snapping directly into the creature’s side. Unfortunately, the dart, failing to penetrate the creature’s thick carapace, bounced into a nearby wall, and fell harmlessly to the ground. The creature snapped its attention up to the two officers, and roared.

 

Nick took that moment to fire his own shot. Though he too struck the target, his dart had no more effect on the nightmare before them than his partners. He barely had time to register the miss before the beast charged the two cops. Realizing that their paltry cover would not offer much protection from such a large and powerful creature, both officers turned to flee from the oncoming behemoth. The porch barely slowed the creature as it simply barreled through the cracked concrete, spraying the two with fragments of shattered stone. The pair made it back to Chestnut before the creature caught up to them. With a crouch on its six spider like legs, the creature leapt for the officers, as they dove out of the way.

 

Judy dropped her tranquilizer, and pulled down her shoulder remote. She keyed the device and hoped Clawhauser wasn’t screwing around like the last time she and her partner were being chased by a savage predator. “Clawhauser, we need backup. There is a massive…  _ thing _ tearing up Old Zootopia. One civilian is wounded or dead, tranquilizers are ineffective, we are engaging with deadly force.”

 

Clawhausers voice came back a moment later, much to Judy’s relief, “Ok. Hold on tight Hopps, the cavalry is on its way!”

 

After dodging to the side, Nick noted that the creature had managed to tear large chunks of asphalt out of the street. Dropping the tranquilizer, he reached for his service pistol, and began firing into the beast. The rounds impacted on the creature’s side, with small puffs of green ichor. While his pistol seemed to be having more of an impact than the tranquilizer darts, he doubted it would make much of a difference to the beast in front of him.

 

“So. Uhh, I know you’re pretty upset about this. But…” Nick didn’t get to finish his sentence. The creature swiped out a hooked claw, Nick barely managed to avoid losing an arm. Instead, the last three inches of his pistol’s barrel fell, clanking heavily on the asphalt. “H-Hopps?” Nick squealed, as the eyes of the creature fell on him.

 

Something slammed into the creature's head, causing it to turn and hiss. Nick heard the loud bangs of another service pistol as Judy began firing at the creature. It opened its jaws, and crouched down for another leap. Time seemed to slow for the fox, as he saw clearly what the beast had in mind. He knew that Judy’s pistol would no more stop it than his, and throwing caution to the wind, Nick crouched on all fours, and bounded forward.

Judy’s pistol snapped open as the last round was fired. Before she had time to reload, the creature leapt toward her again, impossibly fast. If not for the fact that something had collided with the beast in mid- flight, and her own instinctive step backwards, it would have crushed her beneath its weight. That something turned out to Nick, who was precariously holding onto the back of the creature.

 

“Carrots,” the vulpine yelled, “Do something!”

 

Judy saw that Nick wouldn’t be able to continue his desperation fueled ride for long. While she was sure the ZPD would be responding in as quick a timeframe as possible, they wouldn’t arrive before Nick was smeared into the concrete. She had to do something, but what could she do? Her only weapons were ineffective, and the only tools at her disposal were her flashlight, radio, and … that.

 

Nick lost track of his partner as he tried to stay on top the rampaging creature. While he was able to avoid the hooked claws directly, the creature continued to buffet him with jabs from its many legs as it tried to buck him off it's rain slicked back. With no better idea than to hang on, Nick gritted his teeth, and hoped his partner had an idea.

 

Judy sprinted to the cruiser, and placed the keys in the ignition; the cruiser’s enormous engine roared to life, and she pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor as she slammed the clutch into gear. The car lurched forward, directly towards the creature.

 

Nick heard the engine gunning, and turned in time to see smoke pouring off its back tires. Realizing Judy’s plan, he yelled as he let the creature buck him off, just as the cruiser slammed into it. Nick hit the ground with a gasp of pain as his shoulder collided with the asphalt. He turned and saw the creature slam its hooks into the hood of the cruiser, killing the engine. However, the momentum of the cruiser continued to push the creature, until it impacted a low stone fence in front on a moss covered building. There was a wet crunch as the creature was smashed between the fence and the cruiser, and both came to a bone jarring halt. Nick let out a little noise from the back of his throat, as he dashed to the side of the cruiser. Peering inside, he saw Judy dazed, with her airbag deployed. 

 

“Hello officer, what seems to be the problem?” She shook her head, and smiled at her partner.

Nick laughed nervously, and shook his head at Judy. He checked her over, making certain she had no serious injuries. While he was looking her over, Nick noticed the smell of gasoline and motor oil coming from beneath the crushed engine block of the cruiser. Deciding she wasn’t sporting a broken neck, Nick helped her out of the cruiser and onto her feet.

 

“What the hell was that thing,” he asked, looking back the crashed vehicle.

 

Judy winced as she placed her weight on her right foot, and shook her head. Nick went to her side, wrapping his arm around her waist in order to help her move. “I don’t know.”

 

“Smart thinking with the cruiser.”

 

Judy winced again, but not because of the pain this time. She wasn’t looking forward to explaining to the chief why she intentionally wrecked their cruiser. Hopped up on endorphins as she was, even she wasn’t loopy enough to look forward to that conversation. Judy looked up to Nick to explain as much, but stopped when she heard the unmistakable sound of screeching metal and shattering glass as their cruiser was flipped on to its roof.

 

“Oh sweet fluffy Lord.” Judy swore, her eyes growing wide. “No way.”

 

The creature stood, its foremost legs crushed to a green and black goo by the cruiser. It roared in menace as it pushed the wrecked cruiser out of its way as if it weighed nor more than a bushel of carrots.

 

“You cannot be serious,” Nick said, as he tugged on his ear with his one free paw, nope not a dream. Looking down at his partner, he realized there was no escape for them. Judy was too hurt to run, and he would rather die with her, than leave her behind. He laughed a bitter laugh as he saw her come to a similar conclusion. Their only hope lay in him delaying until the ZPD’s reinforcements arrived. Giving his partner one more squeeze, Nick turned to face the creature as it started lumbering towards them. Reaching down, he plucked up one of the dropped tranquilizers, intending to use it as a club.

 

“Sir, I am gonna have to ask you to put your hands behind your head,” Nick drawled. He gripped the impromptu club by the barrel, and readied himself for a fight.

 

Judy began shakily to load her tranquilizer. Although she had lost her service pistol in the car crash, and the weapon wasn’t nearly powerful enough to harm such a large creature, she refused to be helpless prey. Apparently she had broken her left arm when the cruiser hit the wall, only noticing it now that she was moving it around. She bit back a scream of pain, as she forced the broken limb to do her bidding. Slowly, she started to feed the magazine into the pistol, right when the creature charged.

 

Nick was able to turn aside the first blow of the creature’s left hook, turning the point of the attack into the ground. The hook bit deep into the asphalt, and the fox stepped into the creature’s reach. It clearly hadn’t expected him to engage so deeply, and it over extended its next attack, narrowly missing his bushy tail. Nick brought the tranquilizer down in an overhead blow, driving the creature's head to the ground. He whooped in victory, but was too late to notice the creatures’ left hook as it pulled it free of the asphalt.

 

Judy screamed as she saw the back of the creature’s left hook connect with her partner, launching him with blistering speed into the short stone wall she was crouching behind. Hustling as best she could over the short wall, Judy crouched down by her partner. Blood was dripping out of Nick’s nose, and there was a large bloody spot starting to matt the fur between his ears. He was breathing however, and she thought he would hold. Turning to face the oncoming creature, she leveled her weapon shakily at the lumbering hulk.

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh no you don’t,” said a male voice Judy had not heard before. Turning her head slightly, so as to keep the creature in her vision, she saw that the sides of her building and the one across the alley from her were reflecting a brilliant white glow, as if from one of the flashlights commonly carried by the ZPD on night patrol. Then, without warning, a violent arc of electricity struck the side of the creature, flinging it back on top of the ruined cruiser in a violent boom.

 

From out of the alley stepped the mammal she had seen being mauled by the beast earlier. She now saw that he was a fox, though shorter than Nick, and entirely white. Despite the savage thrashing he had been the recipient of, it appeared that he was not harmed in the least. Dressed in jeans and t-shirt, he was otherwise unremarkable, except that his fur seemed to be faintly incandescent. In one paw, the vulpine carried a stick, made of carved wood. In the other, he held some sort of crystal on the end of a leather thong. She saw that light was shining out of the crystal in a steady, but powerful glow. The creature started to stagger its way back up, hissing and drooling from its toothy maw. The white vulpine gestured towards the creature, as light began to glow softly from his fur.

 

“Lucendi.” The fox yelled as another arc of electricity leapt from the length of wood he held upraised, and slammed into the creature, followed by the crack of thunder. Judy shut her eyes, and tried her best to cover her unconscious partner as she saw the electricity arcing into the pool of gasoline, now covering a large section of the street immediately surrounding their crushed vehicle. The heat wave that blossomed as electricity met fuel caused a sudden pain along Judy’s exposed skin. Feeling as if she had gotten a sunburn across her entire body, she turned once more to the scene in front of her.

 

Their cruiser, as well as a good part of the street around it, was on fire. The creature had somehow disappeared, but the white vulpine was still where he had been a moment before, now wearing startled expression, mouth slightly agape. “Ok. That wasn’t my fault...” the fox whined. He turned to look towards the two officers, his ears dropping much as Nicks did when he was embarrassed.

 

Judy aimed her weapon at the vulpine, and said with as much authority as she could muster. “Freeze.”

 

The white furred fox looked from her to the weapon in her hands, and back again. He dropped the long piece of wood into the crook of his shoulder and held up his hands. Looking her directly in the eyes, he clapped his hands. Every light on the street suddenly went out, leaving the street in near total darkness, save for the soft flickering of flame. Apparently, the vulpine intended to escape under cover of darkness, as Judy heard him start to sneak off back down the alley from which he had come. Of course the vulpine hadn’t counted on Judy’s superior hearing, and with a grimace, Judy fired her tranquilizer dart into the fleeing fox’s backside.

 

Turning to stare back at her incredulously, the fox raised his eyebrows as if to say “Really,” before he collapsed unconscious to the ground.

 

Judy turned back to her partner, now that the immediate threat had been resolved, and started tending to his wounds. It was harder than she had expected, with her leg and arm, but she managed to stop the bleeding, and ensure to herself that we wasn’t in any fatal danger. Sighing, she slumped back against the wall waiting, as she finally heard the reassuring sound of approaching sirens.


	2. Long Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. As always I appreciate feedback.

 

Whitefeather community hospital was the crowning glory of the Zootopian medical community. Established not four years ago, it stood as a shining example for what a modern medical facility should be. Having nearly five thousand beds for mammals of differing sizes, it provided care for a larger and more varied community than had ever before been possible. Being one of Mayor Lionheart’s many initiatives aimed towards bringing the mammals of Zootopia together, at the time it had been considered t was a great victory for animal kind. Its legacy, though not untainted from the mayor’s subsequent fall from grace, remained a symbol to the people of Zootopia, and none could doubt the dedication and care of its staff.

 

Judy awoke, blinking from a bright light hovering somewhere above her. Recalling the light shining from the vulpine she had tranquilized, she attempted to sit up, but gentle hands held her back. A reassuring voice murmured platitudes, trying to get her to calm down. The voice spoke her name in a deep basso voice, causing her to relax, and take in her surroundings. She was in a hospital, given the life-saving equipment spread around the room. Her memories began to come back in a jumble. The arrival of the ZPD reinforcements, her and her partner’s trip in an ambulance, then blackness as her exhausted and wounded body gave way under the pressures of the day.

 

Judy’s eyes followed the paws on her shoulders, up the hands, to the middle aged beaver they were attached to. He was stocky, with a broad chest, brown fur, and a gentle smile. His eyes seemed to radiate calm, despite the chaotic noises that seemed to be coming from the other side of a drawn curtain, dividing the bed she was lying in from the rest of the hospital. Blinking, thoughts started to coalesce in her mind, as if a picture was slowly coming into focus.

 

“Officer Hopps, how are you feeling?” the Beaver said.

 

Judy grunted as she realized just how much her body hurt. The sharp pains she had felt during the battle were replaced by a steady, bone deep throbbing.

 

“I’m not sure where all to begin,” Judy admitted. She looked over herself, and hissed at the sight before her. Her right leg was swollen from when her foot had impacted with the steering column during her demolition derby impression. Likewise, her left arm was swollen, with an angry purple bruise showing through the fur of her arm.

 

Her memory started to come back to her as she looked over her injuries. The monster, the ensuing fire fight, her partner and that strange white fox.

 

“Nick,” she gasped, “Is Nick alright? He was injured, and there was…”

 

The beaver put up his hands in a calming gesture. “Officer Wilde is fine, just fine. He is in good hands I assure you.” The beaver then looked at her chart quickly before returning his attention back to judy. “Now, allow me to introduce myself. I am Doctor Woods, and I will be examining you tonight.” Judy nodded her assent, and what followed was a relatively routine medical examination. Doctor Woods proved to be a gentle soul, taking care not to overly distress her multitudinous injuries. Judy winced after he managed to locate an abrasion she wasn’t even aware of along her right calf.

 

“Well, I would say you’ve certainly been through the wringer,” he said after checking Judy’s damaged arm. He withdrew a sling from one of the various cabinets in her room, and began to place it around her neck. “I think it is safe to say that arm is broken. We will need to take a few x-rays in order to be certain of the extensiveness of the break, but in the meantime, we should keep it elevated.”

 

Judy smiled wanly, and nodded her assent. “Thank you doctor”

 

“You are welcome officer. Now, if you will excuse me, I have another patient to tend to. A nurse should be in to take you down for your x-ray in a moment.”

 

“Wait, Doctor?” Judy looked to the beaver, her ears dropping behind her head as her anxiety bubbled up once more. “Can you tell me Nick’s condition? He seemed stable when I last saw him but…” She let the thought hang in the air a moment, not wanting to give her worries a voice.

 

Dr. Woods smiled sadly and said”, I am afraid that H.I.P.P.O. regulations keep me from saying anything definitive to anyone who isn’t family.”

 

Anger flashed across Judy’s face, but quickly died away into bitter resignation. It still upset her that the law excluded her from inquiring about Nick’s health. Normally, he would have given her access in writing, but seeing as how he was likely still incoherent, she was locked out. She started to tap her foot, but stopped when a flash of pain rocketed up her leg. Taking a breath, Judy calmed herself, noting that it wasn’t the doctor’s fault that these things happened.

 

Dr. Woods looked around a bit, then in a whisper so low, only a bunny could pick it up, he said, “Room 220. Mister Wilde has a minor concussion but he's stable and sleeping comfortably.”

 

Judy mouthed, “Thank you,” and gave the doctor a smile. Returning her smile with one of his own, Dr. Woods nodded, and headed off towards his next appointment.

 

Judy sighed, as she leaned back into the examination bed, trying to get comfortable. Her mind wandered, as she waited to be taken down to have her x-rays done. What was it that had attacked her and Nick? What type of animal was it, and why hadn’t she ever heard of anything like it before now? Questions for another time, Judy waited to tend to her physical wounds, before she could seek out the answers she needed.

 

* * *

 

When Judy finally found herself in room 220, she did so with the help of a crutch given to her by one of the hospital staff. They hadn’t put her arm in a cast, as her arm was far too swollen, but they had wrapped it in a brace. It was late, and she wasn’t sure whether Nick would be asleep when she got there, but she needed to see him. Despite the reassurances she had received, she still felt protective of her partner, and needed to hear that he was alright from his own mouth. It should have come as no surprise though that the vulpine was not only awake, but had somehow found a pudding cup that he was eating. Her ears perked up as she took him in. 

 

His uniform had been traded in for a hospital gown and his head was wrapped up in thick white bandages. Other than a few minor cuts and scrapes, he looked no worse for wear. Judy smiled to herself in relief, and knocked lightly on the door.

 

Nick paused, spoon lifted to his lips, as he turned to see his partner. A smile blossomed on his face, as he said, “Well, if it isn’t Officer Fluff? Glad you could come by, want a pudding cup?”

 

Judy shook her head, and hobbled over to Nick’s bed. Ignoring the chair in the corner of his room, she hopped up next to him and held out a paw. Nick’s emerald eyes sparkled as he put down his spoon, and passed her an unopened pudding cup.

 

“Where did you even get these Nick?” she asked incredulously.

 

“Hmm,” he said through a full mouth. He swallowed and said, “I know a guy.”

 

“Of course you do,” Judy drawled, and clinked spoons with him. They sat in companionable silence, eating pudding, and taking comfort in each other’s proximity. After a few moments, they had each finished their cups, but the silence was starting to weigh heavily on them.

 

“So,” Nick began, “Close one tonight.”

 

Judy sighed, “Yes Nick, I noticed.”

 

“You wanna talk about it?”

 

“Not particularly.”

 

“…I’m… sorry Judy.”

 

She turned to him, her nose twitching, as she sat dumbfounded for a moment. “Nick, why should you be sorry?”

 

Nick went to scratch his head, but checked the motion. Putting his arm down, he cleared his throat. “I wasn’t there for you in the end. I heard that whatever it was that had attacked us fled. If not for some kind of freak electrical accident, you could have died.” Nick breathed heavily, his voice cracking as he spoke. “I…I can’t…”

 

Judy turned fully to her partner, and put her paws to either side of his face. Nick stopped trying to speak, and just took deep breathes. With some gentle coaxing, she got him to look her in the eyes. “Nick. It’s ok. I am fine. You are fine. That creature was… stopped. You did your duty to the city, and to me, and it all worked out. What might have happened doesn’t matter. What matters is you were there. You threw yourself in harm’s way multiple times for me, and no one could ask for more.”

 

Nick breathed deeply again, his eyes glistening. Perhaps it was his injuries, but Nick felt vulnerable. He was tired, and he was shaken that he nearly lost his partner. But Judy’s paws were warm, and her smile was genuine. Slowly, Nick closed his eyes, and nodded. Judy rubbed her hands on his cheek ruff, and dropped her hands to her lap.

 

“Sly bunny,” Nick said with a smile.

 

“Dumb fox,” Judy retorted.

 

Nick's smirk returned, and he said, “You know that you love me.”

 

Judy gave him a flat look, but before she could respond, there was a knock at the door. Officer Wolfard walked in, his gray fur ruffled, holding a clipboard. He raised his paw to the two cops, who instinctively slid farther apart from each other.

 

“Morning guys,” he said in is faintly accented cadence. Wolfard’s ears drooped as he stifled a yawn.

 

“Hey Jonathon,” Nick said, “Chief got you burning the midnight oil?”

 

The timber wolf nodded, and stifled another yawn. “Yeah, we’re still trying to figure out what happened to that large predator you guys were fighting. It just up and vanished. We’ve got the whole city on alert, but no one has seen a thing.”

 

“Want a pudding cup,” Nick offered smiling.

 

“Honestly, Nick.” Judy pushed the nurse call button inset into Nick’s bed. A few moments later, and a male otter with dark grey fur walked into the room.

 

“Mr. Wilde, did you need something?” The otter looked disapprovingly at the two other officers in the room. Hospital regulations were that guests had to be out by 8PM, and it was nearly 3 in the morning. However, being a peace officer had its privileges.

 

Judy spoke up,” Yes, he was wondering if there was any coffee available for Officer Wolfard here.”

 

Nick nodded, and said, “That’s right. Sorry for inconveniencing you like this.” Nick put on his best, snake charming smile, and said the magic word, “Please.”

 

The nurse nodded, “Sure,” giving the officers one more disapproving look, and headed down the hallway.

 

Wolfard sighed,  “Thanks for that. The chief sent me to collect your statements about what happened. You will need to turn in an official report of course, but that can wait until you guys get back to work.”

 

Judy perked up,” I can be in tomorrow.” Her eagerness though was diminished as she let out her own deep yawn.

 

Wolfard snorted, “Yeah right Hopps. The Chief also wanted me to remind you that department policy dictates you to have 24 hours for medical evaluation before returning to work. That goes for both of you.” Wolfard emphasized his point by gesturing towards the fox in the hospital bed with the edge of his clipboard.

 

“Sounds good to me,” Nick added his own yawn to the crowd.

 

“So,” Wolfard pulled out his pen and set to writing, “What the hell happened tonight?”

 

Nick and Judy told him. Half way through their story, the nurse came in with Wolfard’s coffee, and he thanked the otter graciously. By that point, Judy had made her way over to a chair sitting in the corner of the room. Judy continued, deciding to leave out some of the details. She still wasn’t sure how it was the white furred vulpine had been able to direct that electricity, but she knew telling Wolfard he had conjured it out of thin air would make her appear unhinged. Even as it was, Wolfard seemed to be having a hard time believing what he was hearing.

 

“So you’re telling me that this thing was…what, covered in some kind of armor?”

 

“No,” Nick replied, “It wasn’t wearing armor. It was part of its body.”

 

“Uh huh,” Wolfard said, making a note. He looked up at the bandages covering the fox’s head, and nodded. He turned to look at Judy, “Officer Hopps, did your observations match that of your partner?”

 

Judy nodded.  “Yes, what Nick said was accurate.”

 

Wolfard wrote something more down. “You see, we were thinking this was a Polar Bear or some other large predator. The claw marks in the ground look like it could have been done by a polar bear. What do you think about that Officer Hopps?”

 

Nick’s face took on a surprised look, before he schooled his expression into an impassive mask. He turned to look at Judy, waiting for her response.

 

Judy paused, uncertain how to respond. If she insisted that what she had seen was no mammal, it was possible that the ZPD would assume she had cracked. She knew that what she had seen wasn’t a polar bear, but without a way to prove it, she was trapped. Frustrated, she blew out a breath, and shrugged.

 

Wolfard nodded, and said, “Ok guys, I think I’ve got it. You two get some sleep. The rest of the details can wait till you turn in your reports.” Officer Wolfard bid them goodbye, and headed out of the room. 

 

After a few moments, Nick looked back over to his partner and raised his eyebrows at her.“ Officer Hopps. Did you just fail to give a full and detailed report to an officer conducting an official inquiry?”

 

Judy grimaced.  “I told him what we knew. If I start insisting that we saw some kind of monster, Internal Affairs will have us put away. We can let them think what they want until we can find out what really happened.”

 

Nick looked incredulously at the doe, his ears standing straight up. ‘Hmm, almost like a bunny.’ Judy thought.

 

“Officer Hopps… did you just… LIE… to an Officer on official ZPD business?”

 

Judy scowled at Nick and his smarmy tone, “No I did not LIE. I just didn’t give him all the details and let him come to his own conclusions.”

 

Nick’s face blossomed into the smuggest look she had ever seen on the fox. Even more than the time he was purposely delaying her at the Zootopia DMV during the night howler case.

 

“Judy, you are so hot right now.” 

 

Judy felt her cheeks warm, as she tossed a pillow at her partner. It managed to hit him on top the head. He let out a gasp of pain, and fell back to the bed grimacing. Judy made a choking sound, and tried to rush over to his bed side, forgetting for a moment her own injuries. Judy started to topple, and she moved to protect her damaged arm and leg, taking the impact of the fall on her undamaged shoulder. She let out a hiss of pain, as the impact lit tiny fires of agony throughout her body. She heard Nick start to laugh, and despite herself, she laughed too. It felt good to laugh after such a rough day.

 

“We are so cool,” Nick said still snickering.

 

“Totally.”

 

Judy picked herself up off the ground, and worked her way over to Nick’s bed once again. Once more, she snuggled up beside him, and lay her head on his shoulder. Turning slightly, she whispered into his ear, “Mind turning out the lights slick?

”

“You know, you’re still in your uniform right?”

 

“Don’t care. Sleep now.”

 

Chuckling, Nick pushed a button on the side of his bed, leaving them in darkness. Judy felt the fur between her ears ruffle as Nick planted a kiss between her ears.

 

“Night love.”

 

“Night”

 

* * *

_ Despite what some people might think, bravery isn’t the opposite of fear. It isn’t a mastery of fear, nor is it an absence of fear. There have been many instances when I have been afraid. I know all too well the emptiness that swallows all traces of logic and reason. When Mayor Bellwether was put on trial, a recording of her was admitted as evidence into court. In that recording, she said that fear always works. That it can drive people to desperate actions, and drive them to hatred. Unfortunately, she’s right. There is however, a weapon that we can wield against fear. A tool that we can use to uplift us when the times are most desperate. In my experience, it is knowledge that we can use to conquer fear. We are hardwired to fear what we do not comprehend. It is instinctive to shy away from the unknown, too avoid the dark places in the world. But knowledge gives us familiarity. It provides us a measure of comfort. It doesn’t prevent us from feeling the fear, but it does provide us the chance to take action. If I know why I am afraid, I can take a course to resolve it. I suppose that is also why it pisses me off when I can’t figure something out. I hate to be afraid. _

 

* * *

**~5 Hours Later~**

 

Daniel Elias Coleman was not having a good morning. When he woke up, he realized that three things were wrong: First, he had spent the night on what could only optimistically be referred to as a ‘mattress’, leaving him stiff and sore. Second, whatever that bunny cop had hit him with had been drugged, and likely proportioned for a mammal much larger than himself. He felt kiln dried, and totally parched. And third he was in jail... Again. The Arctic Fox groaned, and tried to sit up from a bed built into the side of a concrete wall. He immediately flopped back down to the mattress, as a wave of nausea rushed over him. He warred with his stomach for a few moments as it asserted itself in a most unwelcome fashion. The nausea eventually subsided, but he could still taste bile welling up in his throat. “What did they do to me?” He muttered bitterly, as he continued to fight off the nausea with deep cleansing breathes.

 

“Tranquilizer Dart,” said a rough voice echoing harshly off the concrete walls. Daniel groaned again, and glared at the origin on the voice.

 

“Why if it isn’t Officer McHorn. I take it you haven’t come down to apologize to me on behalf of the department.” Daniel said icily.

 

The rhino cop snorted. “ZPD don’t apologize to criminals. I knew this day would come, and I’ll tell yah, I’m just happy I was here to see it.”

 

Daniel hissed again, and managed to turn on his side so he could face the much larger mammal. The cell that Daniel was in was actually part of a set, interposed in a pattern, ranging from a smaller cell used for mammals brought in from Little Rodentia, to larger ones capable of housing the largest of mammals. This design allowed for larger and smaller animals to effectively share a space. Currently, Daniel was alone, save for the annoyance of Officer McHorn. “See what?” The vulpine said grumpily,” I haven’t done anything to warrant an arrest. That is unless you plan on telling me why it was that I was tranquilized and brought into custody?” 

 

The rhino sneered at Daniel, as he literally looked down his nose at him. “You’re a suspect; I don’t know how you did all that damage to the street, or why anyone would call in a 10-91 on a runt like you, but you attacked two of ZPD’s highest decorated officers. You’re finally gonna get yours, Coleman, and I sincerely hope that when you do, they throw away the key.”

The bottom dropped out from Daniel’s stomach. He scrambled to the toilet in the corner of his cell and noisily threw up. As the retching sounds started to dissipate, Daniel wiped his mouth 

with the back of his hand, and looked up to the looming McHorn.

 

“I didn’t attack anyone. I was in the neighborhood of Old Zootopia on a case, and I was attacked.”

Officer McHorn scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Right, you were helping. How about this as an alternative. You’re a conman, a thief and a liar. You got into it with one of the local scum, and you got ZPD called on you. You resisted arrest, and Officer Hopps tranqed you. Does that sound about right?”

 

Daniel shook his head and immediately regretted it. It felt like his brain was rattling around like dice in a cup. He snarled in frustration, and stared at the rhino, teeth gleaming in the fluorescent light. “I take it Officer Hopps accused me in an official testimony,” Daniel spit out in contempt. He had been trying to help the rabbit officer, and despite her reputation for fairness when dealing with foxes, it seemed she wasn’t able to shake her prejudices. Daniel had learned from a young age that he would be profiled by the police, and it hadn’t helped when he began skirting their investigations as a freelance private investigator. He had even had a few run-ins with the police when his methods came in conflict with local regulations. And while he hadn’t been trusted, or even particularly welcome in his dealings with the police, he had never doubted that in the end, he would be vindicated. Now it seemed, prejudice was going to get him thrown in prison after all.

 

The rhino returned his snarl, and stared daggers into the fox’s eyes. Daniel quickly looked away, not wanting to deal with the consequences. The rhino snorted again at Daniel’s behavior, which many mammals considered to be shifty. “Not yet she hasn’t. She is taking care of her partner, the fox YOU put into the hospital. She should be in tomorrow to give her testimony. Once she does, we will have all the evidence we need to see you put away.” The rhino stood straighter, and leveled a hateful smile down at Daniel. “Until then, enjoy your stay on the city.” McHorn ambled out the door, leading to ZPD headquarters proper. He slammed the door as he did so, making Daniel’s ears ring, and a headache begin to throb. 

 

Daniel groaned as, he settled back down into the mattress, trying not to think how bad things looked for him. He muttered to no one in particular, “Figures.” Most days, it simply did not pay to be a wizard.


	3. Lost Cause

Judy grunted with exertion as she tried in vain to open the door to her apartment. The door was old, made of solid hardwood. Unfortunately, its sturdy construction also meant that it was exceedingly heavy. This was compounded by her injuries, leaving the doe in a bit of a predicament. She tried easing the door open, she tried pushing her weight against it, and she even tried ramming her shoulder against it. The door remained unmoved by her efforts.

Making a strangled noise in the back of her throat, she braced her weight on her injured leg, thankfully stronger after a night's rest, and kicked the door with all of her might. The door burst forth, opening an entire four inches before her furious onslaught. Grunting, Judy used her crutch to lever open the door the rest of the way, and entered her apartment.

 

For the past two years, Judy and Nick had lived in a small two bedroom apartment near Haymarket in the Meadow Lands. It had meant a longer commute into work for the pair, but they were able to afford a larger place, with a view of Prairie Plaza. It also, if Judy was perfectly honest with herself, reminded her a little bit of her parent's home. It seemed that one couldn't really take the country out of the rabbit. Judy looked around and muttered to herself at the mess that abounded in their combined household. While she had known that Nick lived messily as a bachelor, she hadn't expected the level of refuse two mammals living in close proximity could generate. What had followed was more or less a war of attrition with the clutter. Nick seemed to lose interest in the midst of pretty much every domestic chore, save cooking. Judy, meanwhile, had fallen into the habit of waiting till things reached critical mass before actually putting in the effort to clean. She noted that things were going to reach a breaking point before too much longer, and sighed in frustration. She would have to make certain Nick actually did his fair share of the cleaning this month.

 

Judy used her crutch to shut the door and proceeded into their modest, but comfortable, living room. She flopped down onto their couch, which Nick had gotten second hand from a badger he knew, and sighed as she sunk down into the deep cushions. Her mind raced, as she reviewed all that had happened over the course of the past 24 hours. The monster, the subsequent battle, the vulpine, and the hospital. She needed to organize her thoughts, and the best way to do that would be to write her report. Subconsciously, she ran her hand over her ears, and looked down at her coffee table. The pamphlets Nick had shown her yesterday were still there. She quickly looked away, not desiring to think about THAT quite yet. Instead, she looked at her uniform. Frayed, dusty, and spattered with gore, she decided the first thing for the day would be a shower. Picking herself back off the couch with a grunt, she headed to the kitchen to acquire a plastic bag, and a rubber band to waterproof the brace on her arm.

 

Thirty minutes later, Judy was showered, clothed, and feeling presentable. Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly sure what to do with herself. The chief had made it clear that she wasn't supposed to go into work today. Nick was still at the hospital pending some tests, and while she could certainly go there and wait for him, she found that prospect unenticing. She felt restless, and apprehensive. All of her life, Judy had taken the initiative when something she wanted was in sight. Waiting for things to develop was simply not something she could comfortably do. Her eyes glanced up to a photograph pinned to their refrigerator door. It showed her and Nick, standing on a bridge in the rain forest district. In truth, it was the same bridge on which they had narrowly avoided a rampaging Machas all those years ago. He was looking down at her, a shocked expression on his face, while she looked up, a cocky smile on her face. She smiled, as the memory of the moment washed over her. The fear, turned to joy. The warmth of his embrace. That kiss.

 

She shuddered, her memory suddenly replaced by the image of Nick's battered body, the creature from last night crouching over him, maw dripping with spittle. Judy knew that she had to do something proactive. "The doctor did give me clearance to return to work," she said, her eyes drifting to where she had placed her hand bag. Making her decision, she decided to head into work, and at least write her report. Moving to collect her iPawd, and other accouterments, she endeavored once again, to open the door.

 

* * *

The trip to ZPD precinct one had been a lot dodgier than Judy had originally anticipated. Public commute could be tricky in the best of situations, but navigating the subway with her broken arm and crutch had been an absolute nightmare. Thankfully, there had been a group of larger mammals who noticed her predicament, and helped shield her from the press of the crowd. Finally making her way up the stairs to the precinct building, she sighed in relief that her journey was over.

 

ZPD precinct one was much as it always was that afternoon. Officers were coming and going in groups or individually, as they went about their respective duties. Judy managed to avoid notice until she made it about half way across the arcade.

 

"O.M. Goodness! Jude are you alright!" Judy turned to see a familiar, portly Cheetah make his way from the receptionist desk to meet her where she stood.

 

"Not too bad Benjamin," Judy said with a smile. She held out her fist to the larger predator. Clawhauser smiled, and rapped Judy’s knuckles with his own.

 

"Glad to hear you guys made it out of that one. How's Nick? Still in the hospital?"

 

Judy nodded, "The doctors think he should be fine to come home today." Clawhauser clapped his hands, making a pleased expression somewhere between a purr and a laugh. 'How does he do that,' Judy wondered, not for the first time.

 

"Glad to hear it. You know, the Chief said you weren't supposed to come in today. I would lie low if I were you. He's in a mood."

 

Judy winced as she thought once again of the cruiser she had destroyed the previous day, she nodded "Thanks."

 

"Oh Judy," Clawhauser said, "They have your guy down in interrogation. I think they should be finishing up with him in a few moments. Just thought you'd like to know."

 

An image flashed in Judy's mind. White fur, casting a steady light. A fork of lighting, the crash of thunder. "Thanks Benjamin."

 

Judy headed across the arcade into the side hall, where Nick's and her office lay. She had to figure out how she was going to explain the night's events without sounding crazy. She sighed, realizing that maybe coming in wasn't her best idea. "But then again," she said under her breathe, "It's not like you had anything better to do." With one last sigh, she made it to her desk, sat in her chair, and started up her PC. 

 

Judy stopped typing when she heard the unmistakable rumble of Chief Bogo clearing his throat. Judy's ears fell back behind her head, as she slowly turned around to face the cape buffalo. Chief Bogo hadn't ever been a quiet individual. It was said you could tell what his mood was based on the cadence of his step. Despite that, and the chief's sheer size, he could move deceptively quietly when he wanted to. The Chief was looking at Judy, disapproval in his eyes, over the rims of his reading glasses.

 

"I think I may have gone blind," he said, his voice a deep rumble.

 

"Sir?"

 

"Or perhaps I have finally been driven mad by my position running this department?"

 

Judy raised her finger to make a point, but was cut off before she could speak."Because the alternative. That you defied my instructions to come into work today, is clearly impossible."

 

"Chief…"

 

"You know, I had a dream. One where you were a good officer, who obeyed the rules, and DID WHAT YOU WERE TOLD!"

 

Judy waited a moment as silence fell over the office. The clacking of keyboards, that could be heard not a moment before, were ominously silent."I am sorry sir. I needed to wait to pick up Officer Wilde from the hospital and…"

 

"And you couldn't wait at the hospital? They do have waiting rooms I have been told." He paused, pinching the bridge of his muzzle with his fingers. "Officer Hopps, I know you have a penchant for doing what you think is right DESPITE department policy, but the rules are there for a reason. You are not able to return to work without a release from your physician. Do you have such a form?"

 

Sheepishly, Judy reached into her purse, holding the medical release up to Chief Bogo. He looked down at the proffered form, and back up to lock eyes with the doe. Judy flinched inwardly, but held the gaze. One thing she had learned from working with Bogo, was that he respected strength. In fact, it had been a perceived weakness on Judy's part that had made Bogo question her placement on the force all those years ago. "Sir, I understand the policy. But I couldn't just wait for Nick to get cleared. I needed to get this report done, and I needed… to do SOMETHING." She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She kicked herself mentally for that last part.

 

Statues gave away more emotion than Bogo did at that moment. Seconds passed, as they held each other's gaze. Then, he nodded, collecting the form from Judy, and said, "Very Well. Have that report in my in box before you leave."

 

Judy's eyes widened, as she realized what had just happened. "Thank you sir."

 

The Chief nodded once more and said, "And tell Wilde to get his report to me as well. Just because he is in the hospital doesn't mean he can get out of his paper work."

 

"I will do that sir."

 

The chief grunted, and stomped off down the hallway, the rhythmic clamping of his hooves echoing off the walls. The clacking of keyboards once again resumed, and Judy let out a deep sigh of relief.

 

* * *

An hour later, Judy had her report in hand, as she proofread it for errors.

_ ‘It was at that time that Officer Wilde deployed his service pistol. However, the armor the suspect wore resisted the impacts of the rounds.’ _

 

Judy grimaced at the outright lie she had written. She didn't like it, but found herself unable to think of what else to do. She continued on, till the very end.

 

_ ‘With Officer Wilde unconscious, I retrieved my tranquilizer pistol in an effort to stop the suspect. It was at that time, that a bolt of electricity arced into the suspect. A white vulpine, who was later taken into custody for questioning, had somehow directed the electricity into the suspect. At the time I had assumed he had a high voltage Taser. This caused the suspect to flee. I instructed the vulpine to freeze, but he attempted to flee under cover of darkness. I deployed my tranquilizer against the suspect so that he could be questioned regarding the events of the night. I would like to note that it is my opinion the vulpine had intended to offer aid to Officer Wilde and myself, before attempting to flee the crime scene.’ _

 

Judy frowned once again as she read her report. Her thoughts turned to what Clawhauser had said. The vulpine was being held for questioning. Judy knew that the ZPD had 48 hours to hold a suspect before they had to either be charged, or released. On a hunch, Judy grabbed her crutch, and left to seek out Clawhauser.

 

She found the police sergeant at his desk, snacking on cheese curls from a bowl on his desk. He looked up upon hearing her approach, and licked the orange powder covering his paw.

"All done with your report?" The Cheetah asked.

 

"Not quite, I was wondering if I could speak to the suspect."

 

Clawhauser consulted his records for a moment. "Looks like he's back in holding. His name is Daniel Coleman. He's a PI. Looks like he's had some run ins with ZPD before."

 

"Thanks Clawhauser."

 

"No problem Hopps," he said, his hand returning to his cheese curls.

 

Judy shook her head, not sure how it was that her friend was able to eat like that without making himself horribly sick. Judy smiled, and made her way back to where the ZPD kept its small population of prisoners.

 

* * *

 

_ The fact is, the world is filled with predators. Not mammals, not those kind of predators. When most mammals think of predators, they think of those whose ancestors hunted prey to survive. Since the birth of Zootopia, however, those mammals no longer need to hunt prey. They live amongst them in peace and harmony. Don't look at me like that. I know that things aren't exactly perfect, but the fact is things are a hell of a lot better. But since then, animal kind has forgotten that there is a reason they should be afraid of the dark. There are still hunters out there, who delight in the pain and suffering of other sapient beings. There are still predators out there, and unlike before, there is no real defense against them. All you can do is hide, and hope that you go unnoticed. Which if you have been unfortunate enough to draw one of the true predator's attention, will prove to be too little, too late. Once they have your scent, they do not lose it. They will not stop hunting, until they have fed. _

 

* * *

Daniel heard the door to the holding area open with a squeal, and he groaned. Once more, he would have the company of the delightful pair of Officers Wolfard and McHorn. No doubt they had many more exciting questions and accusations to level at the fox, and he briefly considered saying something ill advised. He had matured a bit since the days of his youth however, and had finally learned to keep his mouth shut.

 

"Mr. Coleman?" The voice was feminine. Medium pitched, with the hint of a country burr to some of the words. Puzzled, Daniel stopped staring at the ceiling in his cell, and looked towards the source of the voice. The same bunny cop, who had shot him the night before, stood leaning against a crutch, arm around a stack of papers. Putting on a smile that she didn't feel, Judy said in as chipper a voice she could muster, "I was wondering if you could help me out by answering a few questions about last night."

 

Daniel scowled and resumed looking at the ceiling. "Nope."

 

Judy took a deep breath. "May I ask why not?"

 

"Well, I tried helping you last night, and funny story, you SHOT me!"

 

Judy winced as the vulpine's outburst set off a painful echo through the chamber. She was grateful there weren't any other prisoners currently in holding or else the sound might not be bearable. Placing her ears behind her back in order to shelter them from any further verbal onslaughts, Judy replied somewhat heatedly, "It was just a tranquilizer."

 

Daniel looked back down to the rabbit, an incredulous look on his muzzle. "You shot me," he said pointedly.

 

Judy glared at the fox, then let out a frustrated grunt. "Alright I shot you. I'm sorry. Happy?"

 

"Not particularly. I would be a lot happier if I could get out of here. No offense lady, but I really am not looking forward to staying another night in this cell for doing the right thing."

 

Judy felt her temper begin to rise once again. Through clenched teeth, she said, "MR. COLEMAN. I am terribly sorry that you have had the inconvenience of participating in a police investigation where LIVES were at stake. God knows where that monster went, and what it is up to. I will be sure though to think of your discomfort should anyone lose their life because of that thing when you might have done something about it."

 

Daniel reeled, as if he had been slapped in the face, and stared at the officer in front of him. Her lavender eyes practically blazed. She was small of stature, and probably weighed less than a phone book, but Daniel felt a shiver of fear run down his spine at her gaze. He quickly looked away, muttering to himself.

 

Judy turned to leave, and cast one more look at the vulpine. "I saw what you did to that monster. I don't know how you did it, but there is more to you than you are letting on. I need to know what it was we were facing, and what we can do to stop it." 

 

Daniel's face remained passive. He wouldn't quite meet her eye, despite her attempts to do so. She clucked her tongue in disappointment, and faced towards the door, starting to walk away. "I guess you just don't give a damn."

 

Judy made it about halfway down the hall, before she heard the vulpine say, "I care."

She turned to face him once more, and found him standing by the door to his cell, near where she had been a moment before. The expression on his face was hard to read. He apparently had practice at masking his emotions, but there was something at the edges he couldn't quite obfuscate. Shame, maybe, or perhaps sadness. "Officer Hopps, may I ask you a question?"

 

Judy turned around, and moved back to her original position. 'He's not much taller than I am," she thought to herself, his head only clearing her ears by an inch or so. He looked much as he had the night before. Unobtrusive, without any distinguishing characteristics beyond the norm for his species. Her memories flashed back to the night before. His arms outstretched, fur alight as if by some inner fire. His cobalt eyes aglow. Judy shivered, "Go ahead."

 

"What do you think you saw?

 

Judy's face took on a quizzical look, and repeated slowly, "Some kind of creature."

 

Daniel nodded, and without any trace of deception said, "It was a polar bear wearing ballistic armor. That is why your shots wouldn't penetrate. I was able to grab an electrical line off a building, using my walking stick as an insulator so I wouldn't shock myself.

 

Judy shook her head, "That's not what happened."

 

Daniel's eyebrows shot up, his ears straight up, as he raised a paw palm up, as if to say, "oh?"

 

Judy's eyes hardened, and she said, "Don't lie to me Coleman. I know what I saw."

 

Daniel placed his paw against the door to his cell, and leaned in conspiratorially. "And what is it that you saw."

 

Judy's eyes once again tried to find his, but he avoided her gaze. Her face hardened into a fierce scowl. "A monster."

 

For a moment, Daniel considered her. That look. That determination. And most importantly, that dedication to the truth. Daniel had encountered many police officers in the past who had seen the supernatural. Most dismissed the proof before their eyes, that there was something more to the world than what they had learned about from high school science classes. They found excuses, and clung to them like a lifeline. Others simply went mad, their minds incapable of processing what they had seen. This officer seemed to be different. She was given a possible, and frankly more rational sounding solution to what had happened the night before. She stuck to what she had seen, despite it sounding utterly insane. He could tell her the truth, but that meant he was responsible for the harm that knowledge would do to her.

Making his decision, Daniel leaned closer, and said in a voice just barely above a whisper, "You want to know the truth?"

 

Judy's face softened, nodding, she leaned closer to the door separating her from the vulpine prisoner.

 

"It was a polar bear."

 

Judy blinked, and looked up at the fox. He nodded and headed back to his cot. Judy heard her teeth grind, as she clenched them in frustration. 

 

The door opened, and officer Wolfard walked it, starting as he saw the doe.

"Officer Hopps, what are you doing here?" Apparently Wolfard had found the time to get some sleep and a shower since the last time she had seen him. His fur was considerably less ruffled, and he looked more alert. 

 

Judy backed away from Daniel's cell door, and gesturing to him, said, "I was just asking our guest here what it was he saw last night. I am taking my report into the chief, and I wanted to see if there were any details I missed."

 

Wolfard looked skeptically at Judy, and said, "Officer, can I speak to you a moment, outside?" He then turned to look at Daniel, and said, "Mr. Coleman, I will be back in a moment so we can resume our conversation from earlier."

 

Daniel laid back in his cot, and said, "Oh good. I might have remembered something different from the last seven times I told you what happened." He made a swirling gesture with his finger in the air, and lowered his paw again.

 

Judy turned to leave once more, and as she headed out the door from holding, she said over her shoulder, "For what it is worth Mr. Coleman, thank you for helping Nick and I."

 

Judy followed Wolfard out the door into the antechamber between holding and the rest of the building. Turning he looked at Judy, and said, "What do you think you are doing?"

 

Judy frowned, her ears perking up at the tone in Wolford's voice. "I told you, I was getting some clarifications."

 

"And what did he say?"

 

"That the suspect was a polar bear, and that he was attempting to help Nick and I."

 

Wolfard nodded, and said, "That's what he said to us as well. Said he was leaving the crime scene to find a payphone to call for help."

 

Judy snorted, "Do people still use pay phones?"

 

Wolfard shrugged. "He didn't have a cell phone, so the story holds water. McHorn is convinced he's our guy, but I'm not so sure."

 

Judy shook her head. While Mr. Coleman was infuriating, and not doubt hiding something, he was not the criminal here. "He didn't do it."

 

Wolfard sighed, and said, "That's what I figured. But you have to understand, Coleman is bad news. He's been involved in some seriously shady stuff in the past."

 

Judy cleared her throat, "Like what?"

 

Wolfard grimaced, and said, "Did you ever hear about the Finley case?"

 

Judy shook her head, and waited for an explanation. "It was one of McHorn's first big cases. This kit goes missing, no ransom note or anything. Completely disappeared without a trace. The parents were devastated as you can imagine, and the media was all over it. McHorn got tasked with finding the kit. He put his heart and soul into finding that kit, and nothing. A month goes by and nothing. The parents got desperate, and decide to hire Coleman to find their daughter. Not one hour later, he shows up with the kit in tow. The kit can't remember where she had been, and Coleman made out with 10k. McHorn figures the kit must have been scooped up by a group of mammal traffickers. He figures Coleman was in on it, and used the kit to make a ransom request. Of course there's no proof to that, and everyone else is satisfied that the kit's been returned. McHorn never let it go. I know that it seems like the trafficker angle is a long shot, but how else does the kit turn up like that? Magic?"

 

Judy took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yeah. I get it."

 

"Just steer clear of him yeah? Like I said, he's bad news."

 

Judy nodded and said, "No problem. Thanks Jonathan."

 

"No problem Hopps." Wolfard smiled, and went through the door to holding. Judy looked through the window inset into the door, and saw the fox watching her through the window. Judy glared back at him, and turned to head back to Clawhauser's desk. Her phone chirped, and she saw that she had received a text from Nick.

 

_ 4:22 _

_ Carrots, the doctor says I can go. Save me Officer Fluff, you're my only hope. _

Judy smiled for a moment, and typed out a response.

 

_ 4:33 _

_ Not sure you're worth it. I'll mull it over. _

 

Judy stuffed her iCarrot back into her pocket and looked once more to her report. Making up her mind, she dropped the report in Chief Bogo's in box.

 

* * *

The rest of the evening progressed smoothly. Judy ordered a Zuber to collect Nick from the hospital, and forced Nick to order a pizza as payment for rescuing him.

 

"You realize this is extortion," the fox said, paw placed to his brow, ears flicked back, eyes closed. The doctors had removed the heavier bandages, leaving a smaller bandage covering the stitches on his scalp.

 

"No. It's a hustle."

 

Nick placed his paws on his hips, and looked down at the doe. "Not everything is a hustle sweetheart."

 

Judy mirrored his posture, "This one is."

 

Nick snorted and shook his head, acquiescing to her demands. The pizza wasn't the best, but it was from their favorite place. Heavy on calories, it was precisely the type of food that Nick's doctors ordered him to stay away from. 'Heh, take that culinary fascists,' he thought to himself.

 

Four hours later, they were spending their evening as they often did. They had discussed their days over pizza, and went to the living room to relax. Sprawled on the couch, Judy was resting her back against Nick while letting her overworked leg throb. She endeavored to not strain it as hard tomorrow as she had today. They sat like that for a time, each occupied with their phones as they sat in the quiet contentment of each other's company. Sighing in pleasure, she looked up to see that Nick had dozed off, his head leaning against the back of the couch. Smiling, she turned her attention back to her phone, now plugged in, and thought about what Daniel had said. Curious, she opened Zoogle, hesitated, and then typed 'monster sightings in Zootopia' into the search bar.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I figured the holiday season would be busy, but man, was I unprepared. I will try to stick with the Chapter a week update, provided I don't get swamped in projects in the new year. As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter 4: Dead Ends

“Come on Nick, you’re killing me.”

Nick smiled, and continued to whistle tunelessly as he ambled towards the unpaid parking meter. Parking duty never seemed to bother Nick overly much.  He found the idea of easing around town all day, even if it was to do such an onerous task, to be fairly relaxing.  After all, it was the easiest job on the force.  The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and for the next week, he and his partner had been assigned to light duty tasks.  _Yes sir_ , Nick thought to himself, _not a bad way to make a living_.

Up ahead, a door to a café burst open, a panicked antelope racing out the doors to the unpaid meter.  Nick heard Judy groan, her desire to race forward to ticket the car warring with her promise to go easy on her injured leg.  Nick snickered, and ever so slightly, slowed his walking pace.  The antelope hurriedly shoved change into the meter, its internal mechanism flipping to green.  The antelope turned a look of triumph upon the approaching vulpine.  Nick smiled, tipped the edge of the ridiculous pith helmet he had been issued, and turned back the way he had come. He made his way back to the three wheeled patrol vehicle in which his exasperated partner sat.

Judy sat in her parking duty uniform, hat slightly askew from where she had placed her paw to her temple.  She slowly shook her head, as she looked up to Nick, who had swung himself in beside her.  It was a tight fit to be sure, made more so from the presence of the crutch sat between them.  Never the less, both officers were used to it, and made accommodations for each other as best they could.

“You know, it is our job to actually ticket cars parked at expired meters,” Judy said, turning to look at her partner.

Nick made a noncommittal sound from his throat, and said, “You know it, I did see that written down somewhere.” He put his paw to his chin thoughtfully. “But now that you mention it, it must have slipped my mind.  Oopsy.”

Judy shook her head, and smiled.  There first day back on the job together, while not unexpected, had meant a more lethargic pace.  Judy had learned patience in her time as an officer, but she still found the prospect of such inactivity grating. 

“By the way,” Nick said, crunching on a handful of nuts he kept stashed in a tin in their vehicle’s cup holder. “Is there a reason you brought us to this part of town?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Old Zootopia certainly has parking meters, but it isn’t exactly a gold mine.”  He screwed up his eyes, a look of overt suspicion playing across his features. “Unless you had something else in mind other than illegally parked cars.”

Judy turned her attention back to the road.  Her mouth pressing into a thin line.

“Let me guess.  You want to go look for any evidence that creature may have left behind?”

Judy looked back to her partner sheepishly.  He was wearing that insufferably smug look of his.  He slowly chewed, the crunch of nuts sounding irritatingly.

“Yeah yeah,” she said, waving dismissively.

Nick just crunched louder, and readjusted his helmet.

Judy rolled her eyes, and started the little vehicle towards the site of their encounter with the creature. 

In truth, they weren’t too far from where they were when they first received the call from Clawhauser.  However, the engine on their glorified golf-cart left something to be desired.  The journey dragged on, punctuated by the sound of Nick snacking, and the high pitched whine of the engine.  Overhead, a faint whirring sounded from the lights set into the vehicles roof.  Nick, however, wasn’t filling the air with his typical small talk.  Judy stole a quick glimpse at her partner, but found his expression unreadable. 

Despite the years they had been together, she still found him difficult to read sometimes.  He was particularly careful not to let his feelings show when something was bothering him.   This, in a way, acted as a tell for the doe.  Nick looked her way once more, and saw her eyeing him.  He smiled, somewhat forcedly, and said, “I was just wondering.”

‘Here it comes,’ Judy thought, her heart rate spiking.

“What happens if we find another one of those things?”

Judy’s heart skipped a beat, as she realized the question Nick had asked wasn’t the one she was avoiding.  Blinking, she said somewhat lamely, “Uhh, what?”

Nick shrugged. “What if we come across another one of those things?  Nothing we threw at it could hurt it.”

Judy relaxed, and with a smooth turn of the wheel, sent their little three wheeled vehicle down the last turn before they would take Stork Street to their destination.

“We record what we see, and call in S.W.A.T.   That’s all we have to go on until we can learn more.”

Nick pursed his lips, thinking.  Then with a shrug, he popped a couple of cashews into his month.  He nodded, then pointed at his partner with his aviators. 

“Something on your mind carrots?”

Judy grimaced, and glanced over at the vulpine from the corner of her eye.  He waited patiently for her to respond, eyes searching her over.  She glanced back to the road, and hesitantly said, “I thought… well I thought that you might be bringing up those pamphlets from the other day.”

Nick smiled at her. Not smirked or grinned but genuinely smiled. Shaking his head slightly, he said, “You said you wanted time to think about it.”

“It’s been two days.”

Nick snorted, “Yeah, and these things take a long time.  Besides, most of that time we’ve spent fighting for our lives and in the hospital.  Not exactly premium thinking conditions.”

Judy smiled, but remained silent.

“Look,” Nick said, as he put on his aviators. “You said you need time.  I can do that.  I’ll give you all the time you need.”

The pair pulled up to the intersection of Chestnut and Stork, easing to a stop beside a pair of larger vehicles used by the larger residents of Zootopia.  The pair hopped out on either side, and Judy walked up to her partner.  She looked up to his eyes, her visage reflected back to her in the aviators, and smiled once more.

“Thanks Nick”

Nick nodded, and said, “No worries fluff.”

 

* * *

 

 

Twenty four hours had done much to restore some normalcy to Old Zootopia.  The streets showed signs of damage still, with chunks of asphalt removed from the street in great scything arcs. A portion of the street had melted away from the intense heat of their cruiser’s violent demise.  However, the terror that had been present in the night time had washed away, and been replaced by a quiet wariness.  The street was completely dead, save for a few homeless mammals, moving between trash receptacles collecting cans to recycle. 

Judy started forward, looking for anything that might give her a clue as to what had happened the night before last.  Nick fanned out to her left, searching along the walls of the homes nearby.  He paused at a low stone wall bordering one of the homes.  He grimaced at a russet stain along the wall.  He subconsciously rubbed at his head, and turned to look towards Judy.

Judy had been looking through a spot between two cars, when she suddenly froze.  Her ears swiveled, homing in on a noise that must have given her pause.  She then crouched between the two cars, hiding her from view.  Getting the idea, Nick took cover behind the wall, still marked with his blood, and waited.  A few moments later, a figure walked slowly from between the same two buildings the creature had emerged from the night before last.

He wore a long brown coat, with a long mantle covering the shoulders.  It was fully buttoned, despite the warm sun, fastened just above the kneed, all the way to his neck.  He walked with his shoulders hunched, a wide brimmed hat shading his eyes from the sun.  Poking beneath the tails of the coat, a white vulpine tail swung back and forth, almost lazily.

_Coleman_ , Judy thought to herself, a frown working its way across her muzzle.  She watched the fox as he paused and raised his right paw.  The crystal he carried from the night before swung on its cord, stopping suddenly, then spinning the other way.  It paused again, pointing in a direction down the street.  Coleman seemed absorbed by the crystal, yet stepped with confidence and certainty.  His body language was stiff yet at ease.  It was the look that truly dangerous people all seemed to have in common.  The few mammals he encountered as he continued on his way however, avoided him.  One even went so far as to walk across the street so as not to cross his path.

Judy felt Nick slide in beside her. 

“Is that Coleman?”

“Yeah,” Judy said, nose twitching. 

“Didn’t he get released, like, two hours ago?”

“Yup. And here he is, back where he was arrested.”

“Think he’s up to no good?”

Judy turned to look at Nick.  He wore what Judy called, his serious face.  Mouth a flat line, eyes partially lidded, and ears alert.  Judy smirked, and said, “Only one way to find out.”

 

* * *

 

_The First Law of Magic: Being that magic is the essence of life, it shall not be turned against its nature._

_~Side note: Easier said than done.  At its heart, the first law of magic is a ban on the use of magic to kill anyone.  Well, mortals anyways.   However, the effects of magic are not so cut in dry.   One of the things you have to know about the supernatural world is that its denizens only really care about the letter of the law.  So for instance, a warlock that kills a mortal with a conjured ball of fire would be found in violation of the first law, and summarily executed, should a member of the council find him or her.  However, a warlock who set a building on fire with magic, and then locked the exit, wouldn’t.  It doesn’t matter why you take a life, just if you do.  Someone guilty of violating the first law in order to protect an innocent, and one who does so because they’re a psychopath will both meet the same fate. It’s all about technicalities with these types.  So make no mistakes, they can mean as much as your life.  ~_

* * *

 

 

The tracking spell was a relatively minor working.   It required little preparation, or expenditure of energy, which was fortunate really.  Daniel hadn’t slept or eaten particularly well during his incarceration, and he hadn’t taken the time yet to rest.  The delay caused by two nights in jail could very well jeopardize his mission, and if he didn’t hurry, he might lose track of his quarry altogether.  Fortunately, everything seemed to be working out thus far.  He adjusted the wide brimmed hat he wore, shielding the glare of the sun from his sensitive eyes.  His focus crystal swung eastward, and the vulpine adjusted his trajectory to match.  Cursing the delay once more, he thought back to the events which landed him in this predicament to begin with.

A client had come into his office seeking a lost business partner.  Apparently his associate, a rabbit who had a reputation for punctuality, hadn’t attended an important business meeting three days ago.  Daniel had been hired to find the rabbit, and see if something had held him up.  When Daniel searched his apartment however, he found no trace of the hare.  Daniel was thus forced to rely on a tracking spell.  Using fur from Mr. O’Hare’s apartment, he was able to link the rabbit’s fur to its current location.  In fact, Daniel felt he had been getting close, until he had encountered the aberration.  Where it not for the timely intervention of the pair of police officers, Daniel seriously doubted he would made it out of the fight alive. 

Daniel scowled again thinking of the two officers.  Ultimately, he could understand their caution.  Still, it galled him that he had been so delayed for essentially lending a helping paw. 

“No respect at all,” he muttered to himself. 

The problem with being a wizard is that for all the power magic offers its practitioners, ultimately, a wizard is still mortal.  Wizards were still susceptible to miscalculations.  No matter how powerful a wizard, and Daniel was FAR from the most powerful, a wizard’s abilities were heavily limited to the amount of preparation a wizard had made.  Daniel had learned long ago to be meticulous in his planning, and despite years of practical application, he found himself falling short when it came to his preparations.  The other night had been a perfect example of that, and once again, the vulpine swore to himself that in the future he would be more diligent.

Daniel rounded a corner, and found himself quickly approaching a run-down warehouse.  Apparently, this part of Old Zootopia had once been an industrial center, with housing built next to factories and the like, providing shelter for its workers.  Daniel wasn’t sure what type of industry this building had once housed, but he felt his hackles rise at some unspoken danger.  The streets surrounding the building appeared abandoned, and as Daniel took the effort to listen, he heard not a sound.  Frowning, the wizard raised his left paw, and extended his awareness into the street.

A wizard, with training and patience, can learn to feel things.  The supernatural world had a habit of marking the world around it, causing changes that normal mammals cannot sense, but respond to subconsciously.  This building positively reeked of negative energy.   It explained why normals would avoid the place.  Unfortunately for Daniel, his focus crystal swung towards the building like the needle of a compass.  Sighing, Daniel took a moment to prepare his gear.

Daniel had decided on leaving his staff back at his car.  It was an amazing tool for the focusing of arcane energies, but it stood out like a sore thumb in the city center.  Besides, he had almost lost it when McHorn wanted it confiscated as evidence. He didn’t want to risk it again.  Carving a replacement staff would take months, and he had a sneaking suspicion he would need it again before all of this was done.  Instead, he carried a smaller wand in his back pocket.  The wand could do most of the things a staff could, but couldn’t handle much in the way of power.  Daniel’s teacher had warned him that if he tried to force the kind of power he did with his staff through a wand, the after effects would be similar to holding a live grenade.

Over his person, Daniel wore his spell hardened coat.  Over the years, he had placed several smaller enchantments on the cloth, and caused it to harden far beyond the material’s normal capacity.  As such, it was essentially a suite of armor.  Unfortunately, though it did protect the vulpine from impacts from bullets, and the claws of supernatural horrors, it did not shield him from energy.  Daniel would have to rely on his wits if he encountered another practitioner.

Readying himself, Daniel set off towards the warehouse.  A simple chain link fence stood around the building, razor wire encircling its top.   Daniel worked his way steadily forward towards the gate, awareness extended to feel for any magical defenses on the building.  Keeping one’s awareness extended thusly was mentally draining, and Daniel could feel the added senses warring with his more mundane sense of hearing and sight for his attention.  Not sensing any supernatural barriers, Daniel allowed his awareness to fall, and approached the gate.  It was bound in three layers of heavy chain, all gathered together and fastened with a lock.   Daniel looked over the lock, and with a minor effort, raised his wand to the lock.  Daniel focused his will, drowning out the environment around him with an effort. 

“Forzare,” he uttered, expending an effort of will.

A loud crack reverberated through the street, as a blade of unseen forced severed the arm of the lock from the rest of the housing.  Grimacing, Daniel turned to see if anyone had noticed his actions, but couldn’t see anyone on the street.   Working the lock open, Daniel began to unwind the loops of chain from around the gate.  It took only a few seconds, but Daniel hurried, and quickly passed through the gate.  He rewound a few links of the chain around the gate, and then set off towards the nearest entrance.  Once again, he followed the crystal as it pointed him towards his target.

Daniel listened at an open door way, its metal frame having long sense been removed for scrap.  He didn’t hear a sound, save for the deep thrum of his own heartbeat.  He breathed steadily, once again extending his awareness, and recoiled from a feeling of deepest dread.  Something terrible had happened here, and recently, given the strong emotions that seemed to permeate the air.  It was as if the materials making up the building, its brick and mortar, had absorbed some terrible fear.  It variably echoed through the building, and flashes of terror and panic raced through Daniel’s mind.  He quickly retracted his awareness, so as to avoid damaging his psyche, and he stopped, gasping for air.  Something terrible indeed. 

Further in, Daniel pushed open a rickety wooden door, leading deeper into the warehouse.  Where once large machines no doubt stood, there was nothing but empty memories.  A single light still burned from the center of the building, and Daniel approached it cautiously. 

The smell of old blood washed over Daniel, as well as the more vile smell of decay.  Daniel repressed a gag as he approached a scene that would haunt his nightmares in the coming nights.  The body had been savaged.  Viscera spread around it in sadistic glee, caking the floor in ribbons.  More blood than Daniel had though possible for such a tiny body to hold, spread out in wide arcs across the floor.  But worst was the expression upon the rabbit’s muzzle, the head separate from the rest of the body by several inches.  It was missing its eyes, but wore an expression of such terror, that Daniel could scarcely believe it.  Daniel had enough, and turned sharply away from the body, only to see two figures standing in the door he had just come in through.

“Oh sweet cheese and crackers,” Judy said, one paw held to her muzzle in horror, the other clenching her service pistol.

 

* * *

 

 

Judy’s heart raced, as she tried to take in the scene before her.  In her years of service, nothing had prepared her for the scene before her.  The scent of blood was heavy in the air, mixed with the foul odor of putrefaction.  She breathed through her mouth, avoiding the worst of the smell, but it didn’t spare her from the horror before her.  She was surprised at how different the gore looked from her expectations.  Her parents had forbidden films that were rated above a PG-13 rating when growing up, but that hadn’t stopped her and her siblings from sneaking a few horror films when her parents weren’t around to stop them.  She recalled being shocked the first time, bundled up with her brothers and sisters around their small television, the sound barely a whisper in order to avoid alerting their mother.  They had thought the special effects so real then, not realizing how fake the real thing looked when seen in person.  Then, she had felt strangely exhilarated at the sight of the blood, even as it had horrified her.  Now there was no exhilaration to go with the fear. 

Nick stood beside her, his lips pulled back in a silent snarl.  Teeth bared, he raised his pistol to the vulpine facing them.   Daniel, for his part, looked just as shocked as they at the scene before them.  He slowly raised his hands, showing the stick he held in his left paw.  In his right, dangled the crystal, shining wanly in the gloom.

“Hands up! Drop that shit to the ground!” Nick barked, his voice a low growl.  A shudder ran its way down Judy’s spine at his uncharacteristic tone.

“This isn’t what it looks like.” Daniel retorted through clenched teeth.  His voice likewise took on a basso rumble, his lips parting to show his sharp canines.

Nick racked his pistol, putting a round into the chamber. 

“I won’t tell you again!”

Judy felt panic start to well up inside her.  The blood must be getting to her, she thought, feeling her fur standing on end.  She saw the Daniel taking deep breathes, and he closed his eyes, seeming to calm somewhat.  Judy did likewise, and as she did so, she felt some of the panic drain away.  She was still frightened, but not as much as before.  She turned to her partner, and put a gentle paw on his arm. He jumped, turning a glare to her that quickly subsided into calm.  He lowered the pistol, returning it to his side at the ready.  Judy blinked, _what was that._

“Mr. Coleman,” Judy began, “I think there are some things that you need to tell us.”

Daniel looked to the pair, and sighed.  He nodded, and gesturing to the corpse, said, “This is Robert O’Hare.  My client sent me to check up on him when he didn’t attend a business meeting.”

“We need to back away from the crime scene,” Nick stated, his voice neutral.  “We need to avoid contaminating it further.”

Daniel nodded, and placed his wand and crystal within the confines of his voluminous pockets.  The coat made a soft whisper as his tail brushed against the fabric.  The wizard walked around a broken crate to stand before the pair as they headed for the door.  Before they could make it half way to the door though, a metallic screech ripped through the corridor leading outside.  A curious clacking sound came from outside the wooden door, and the trio frozen.  Without warning, the door exploded outwards reduced to kindling by a powerful blow from a nightmare.

The creature stood hunched over, little taller than Judy.  However, its apparent height was belied by its posture.  Its body was a long and sinuous, ending in a whipping tail.  Its arms and legs were a splotched purple green, ending in paws with unnaturally long digits.  Dirty nails, crusted and yellowed, tipped its digits.  It opened its maw, two sharp mandibles like a beetles, opening as it hissed.  Once more the metallic screech rang out, its baleful red eyes aglow.

 In an instant the cops opened fire, their shots deafening in the enclosed space.  Ichor dropped from the creature’s wounds as it let out a roar of pain.  It tried to move forward, but the hail of bullets kept it at bay.  As the pair’s weapons clicked empty the creature roared once more, and dropped to the ground, dissolving into a pile of transparent slime.  Nick frowned, turning to look at Judy, whose expression had turned adamant.

“That one wasn’t so tough.” Judy said, placing a fresh magazine into her weapon. 

“What was that?” Nick said, his voice high pitched, eyes wide. 

“A ghast.” Daniel said in a tired voice, his eyes looking around the warehouse warily.

Judy turned to look at the fox, and saw that he had removed the stick he had been holding a moment before.  Its tip glowed a faint white, that never the less stood out in the gloom.  His expression had turned pensive, scanning the shadows.

“They do not hunt alone.”

Several more metallic screeches echoed from the darkness around them, and the trio instinctively moved to place their backs together.  Faint movement could be detected in the darkness, more alien visages briefly visible before fading into the darkness.

“I take it back,” Nick said, his voice quavering. “I don’t want to know.”

Judy adjusted the crutch she had fastened behind her back, placing one paw over the other on the grip of her pistol.  She breathed steadily, trying to stay calm.  And then a ghast fell from the rafters above them, right on top of Daniel’s back.


	5. Perilous Engagement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to Lunar_Blue who took the time to edit this chapter, and all the rest. The plan is to update them in the coming weeks. :D

 

Daniel hunched his shoulders, dropping his neck below the confines of his coat’s protective mantle.  As the ghast bore him to the ground, stars exploded in his vision as his muzzle impacted cement.  He heard the sharp reports of small arms fire, just as the creature began to rend his back.  He tried to wrangle the creature off of him, but it was phenomenally strong.  It began worrying his neck, trying to break through his defenses. Daniel shifted his shoulder, and raised his wand to direct a blast of fire at the creature. He was too slow however, and the creature clamped its beetle like jaws around the vulpine’s wrist. If not for the coat, he was certain the jaws would have shorn through muscle and bone with little effort.  Instead, his arm went numb from the pressure, and he dropped his wand.  The thin piece of ash bounced into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

 

Judy turned to help, but was forced to redirect her attention to a ghast that charged out of the shadows.  She opened fire on it, screaming as she did so.   The bullets tore through the creature, driving it into the ground.  She placed two more shots into its back, and the creature dissolved into a puddle of translucent slime.  The rest of the creatures checked their motions, but she dared not turn her attention from them for long. “Nick, how you doing back there?”

 

“Fine, we need to get out of there.”

 

“Get off of me!” The wizard snarled, and thrusting a palm back against the creature, he conjured a pure bolt of force.  Fear, and panic arose in the wizard, as one of the ghast’s claws dug a deep furrow into his right hand.  Magic is intimately tied to one’s emotional state.  Emotions can be used to fuel spells, the more powerful the emotion, the greater the result.  Daniel was feeling plenty emotional at the time.  While technically it was possible to cast spells without any type of focus, the results tended to be unpredictable.   Daniel, however, wasn’t exactly swimming in options.  His only remaining focus was the ring he wore on his left hand, bearing a caduceus. So without preparation, time, or even much though, Daniel directed his will to tearing the ghast from his back.         

 

“Forzare!” Daniel cried, hand clenching into a fist. A cannon ball of pure force rocketed the creature from Daniel’s back.   It flew away, driven by the force of Daniel’s attack, up into the rafters where it splattered against the ceiling. Ectoplasm, the matter of the spirit world, rained down on the trio as the creature’s form was crushed like an insect.  Fatigue washed over Daniel, as the expended energy took its toll on his body.  He felt a paw grasp him by the shoulder and haul him to his feet.  Nick glanced at him from the corner of his eye, gun still pointed towards the creatures in the shadows.

 

“Get up. Come on.” Nick said, his eyes flicking from shadow to shadow. “We need to get moving.”

 

 

Judy looked towards the shattered wooden door, the forms of three ghasts visible in the corridor beyond.  “Where to? The front door is blocked.”

 

“There’s got to be a back door.” Nick reasoned.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“There’s always a back door.” Nick shrugged and fired a shot at a charging ghast.  He missed however, and the creature bore down on them sweeping the fox off his feet.

 

“Nick!” Judy poured fire into the creature, round after round slamming into its whipcord body.  The creature screeched, its mandibles inches from Nick’s muzzle.  Nick shrieked, and dropped his weapon, paws clenching the creature’s shoulders, holding it off of him.  Judy continued to pour fire into it, until at last her pistol slide snapped open. The ghast gave one last roar, and like the rest, dissolved into slime.

 

“Yuuuuck!” Nick complained, spitting some of the foul muck from his mouth.

Judy turned to see a ghast charging her from the shadow.  She hurriedly attempted to reload her weapon.  In the academy, the cadets had been drilled on replacing their magazines in a hurry.  What they couldn’t prepare for was how much nerves could complicate even the simplest of tasks. Judy felt the magazine catch on the grip of her pistol, as she saw the creature coming nearer.  She didn’t have the magazine even half way, before the creature was on her.  Teeth flashed, inches from her face, and Judy squeaked in sheer panic.  

 

A flash of light, and an utterance of, “Praesidium”, conjured a shimmering semicircle of light between the rabbit and the ghast.  It rebounded off the shield spell, careening into a wall some distance away, with a sound like a semi hitting a concrete wall.  Judy finally managed the magazine into the weapon, and looked to see Daniel, a ring on his right paw casting a gentle blue light.

 

Nick rose, as Judy finished placing the magazine the rest of the way into her weapon.  Throughout the warehouse, the knife edged keen of ghasts sounded, reverberating erratically through the building.  Its timbers vibrated with the sound, as if the building itself where letting out the hunting call.

 

“Time to go!” Judy said, and hobbled towards the back of the warehouse floor.  Her leg was really starting to slow her down, and she didn’t dare untie the crutch from her back, lest if interfere with her ability to defend herself.  Daniel followed behind, dripping blood from a cut on one wrist.  He scowled at the wound, and clenched it in one paw, attempting to stem the flow of blood. Nick passed him a small roll of gauze from his belt, which he took with a nod of thanks.  The trio made steady progress towards the back of the building, not encountering more of the beasts.  They came upon a metal rolling door, the kind used to bring shipping into a building from the back of a truck.  They approached the door, and then turned, three ghasts charging them from different sides.

 

Nick snarled, and poured the last of his bullets into the creature in front of him.  He felt cold fury erupt from deep in his chest, and he moved towards the creatures charging him.  When his pistol ran out of ammo, he spat curses at the creature instead, not noticing that the creature was on the ground slowly dissolving.  Judy remained calm however, and placed even shots into the ghoul charging her.  The expertly placed rounds checked its advance, causing it to nearly stand still from the force of the rounds.  However, that left one free ghast, and Daniel was

out of options.

 

Daniel let loose his own snarl. “I’ve had just about enough of this!”  He raised his right paw, and cried, “Ignis!”   Fire, whether conjured from magic or natural, is the bane of many supernatural creatures.  It is a purifying force, which is why so many rituals utilize it.  For dark creatures like ghasts, it is anathema.   The bolt of conjured fire, fueled by Daniel’s rage, and without a tool to focus it, exploded in a fan fully fifteen feet wide at its base. The flame hungrily consumed the ghast, who shrieked, leaping to the ceiling as it tried to flee. The flames began to spread, as the well dried timbers of the warehouse caught like kindling.  Judy’s ghast, wounded, and seeing the flames, turned to flee, leaving the trio alone in the burning warehouse.

 

Nick’s ears flicked forward, a wince apparent on his features.  He turned, seeing the blaze quickly getting out of control. “Umm, I think we need to get out of here!”

 

Daniel looked dazed, his ears drooping, as he panted from exertion.  Nick pulled rapidly on the chain of the door. Grunting in effort, Nick was relieved to see the door quickly rise.  Within moments, the door was completely open, and Nick gestured for Judy to move.

 

Judy nodded, but felt her injured leg give on her.   She tried to stand, but was instead hoisted up from around the middle.  Russet furred arms had her secure, and quickly, she felt herself being hauled by main force out of the building.  Nick had never been a particularly strong mammal, but he never the less put on a fine show.  Daniel followed at their heels, one arm placed on his hat to keep it from flying off, a sheepish expression on his face as they ran.  More of the ghasts could be heard as the flames rose, their tinny voices crying out in rage and agony.  The rush of air caused by the roaring flames added to the noise, as if the building were some giant beast, taking its dying breath.  Shaking her head, she tried to tell Nick she could carry some of her weight, but his ears were back, eyes forward, and lost in the moment.   His breath came in rapid staccato, his chest rising in effort as he strained to get them to safety.

 

The trio emerged from the building, racing to get to a safe distance from the inferno.   They finally made it to a loading ramp, attached to a building two blocks from the warehouse.  Panting, Nick placed Judy softly on the stairs beside the loading ramp and dropped to the ground.  Daniel slumped against a wall, holding a paw to his side, coughing as he drew ragged breaths.  None of them spoke, they just sat gasping, and trying to recover from their harrowing fight.

 

Finally, Judy looked over to the white fox “What’s going on Daniel?”

 

Daniel blinked, and turned to look at her slowly.  She had used his name.  Not his last, not Mr. Coleman, but Daniel. There is a power in names. One that is fundamental, undeniable.  They are the first gift we are given in this world. They provide us an identity, making us distinct from anyone else in this world.  All throughout our lives, our name is what makes us who we are. It is how the world sees us, and interacts with us.  The call from a friend, overjoyed to see us after a long separation.  A voice, concerned if we had a good day at school. The cry of passion in a lover’s embrace.  All have an elemental power in this world, one so fundamental, most never give it conscious thought.  It is binding, to use another’s name, forming a connection that goes bone deep. Daniel sighed, and looking to the two officers said, “Let’s do lunch.”

 

* * *

 

 

Twenty Minutes later, Judy and Nick found themselves sitting in a Bugga King, staring at Daniel as he told them what he knew. By the time the trio had made it back to the patrol cart, fire trucks were descending on the site of the blaze.  Deciding that calling in the fire would be superfluous, they instead went with Daniel to get something to eat. Naturally, he had picked a restaurant catering to predators, which suited Judy just fine. She found her appetite lacking after witnessing the horrors of the day, and was content with a drink she barely touched.  

 

Judy picked at her brace, the remnants of the ghast having disappeared moments after drenching her, but never the less leaving her feeling tainted. Nick had a curly fry halfway to his mouth, frozen as he pondered what Daniel had just said.

 

“A wizard?” he said, eyebrows raised. “Like, Furlin and King Arthur?”

 

Daniel nodded and added dryly, “No parties or other entertainment.”

 

Nick smirked, and waggling his eyebrows at his partner, said, “What about love potions?”

 

Judy shot a glance at her partner, and raised an eyebrow at him. “Really?”

 

“No.”

 

Daniel’s eyes were narrowed, looking annoyed at the question.

 

“Well, I just had to check. After all, you are a Wizard and all.”

Daniel turned a flat look at Nick, and put his paw to the table. “Agito,” he said, with a gesture of his paw. A cup of ketchup slipped across the table, bumping gently against the vulpine’s splayed paw.  Briefly, his fur seemed to shine, but too faintly to be noticed by anyone not sitting directly across from him.

 

Nick laughed, shaking his head. ”Finnick and I used to do that one.”

 

Judy cocked her head, and said, “You did?”

 

Nick nodded, “We had costumes and everything.  We would pretend to be fortune tellers and hold séances where we talked to the dead.” He gestured with his paw, waving it in a mystical gesture across his face.

 

Daniel shook his head. “After everything you have seen, you still think I am trying to pull one over on you?”

 

Nick shrugged, “I call it like I see it.”

 

Daniel pursed his lips, and thought a moment.  Then, as if coming to some decision, said, “What if I can prove to you I am telling the truth?”

 

Nick shrugged again, “I’m up for a good magic trick. How about you carrots?” Judy just shook her head.  Perhaps she was more gullible than Nick, but everything Daniel had said, despite sounding far- fetched, also rang of truth.  If nothing else, the events of the last day had left her questioning what she did and didn’t believe. Shrugging, Judy nodded her assent to Daniel.

 

“Okay then,” Daniel said, and squared his chair so that it was even with Nick’s.  “Look me in the eyes.”

 

Nick scoffed, but did as Daniel asked.  He popped the fry into his mouth and placed his head in his paws.  He stared into Daniel’s eyes, a grin working its way onto his muzzle. “So do I win if you blink?”

 

Nick froze for a pair of heartbeats and then his demeanor completely changed.  His eyes shot open, the whites briefly visible, pupils dilating. His ears flew back, fur standing on end.  He rocked back in his seat, as his paw rose to clench at his chest.

 

“Nick!” Judy said in alarm, putting a paw to her partner’s arm.

 

“It will pass,” Daniel said, already resuming his meal.  Nick continued to pant, his eyes, locked on Daniel’s, a look of panic on his muzzle.

 

“What… What was that?!” Nick began to steady his breathing, starting to regain control.

 

“That was a soul gaze,” Daniel said, sprinkling more salt on his fries.

 

“What’s a soul gaze?” Judy said, still gripping Nick’s arm.  She looked at Daniel, and could see lines of fatigue on his muzzle.

 

Daniel took a slow bite of his burger, and exhaled through his nose.  Swallowing, he said, “It shows the participants a glimpse into each other.  No lies or deception. You see someone for who they really are.” He didn’t add that such glimpses were permanent, edged into the mind as if with a scalpel.  As a rule, Daniel didn’t like to soul gaze mammals. The experience wasn’t generally pleasant, and could be traumatic if one wasn’t fully prepared for it. Still, it was an effective tool if used sparingly. Daniel took a drink from his soda, before continuing.

“You know the expression, the eyes are the windows to the soul?” Judy nodded, casting a concerned look back over her partner.  Nick had calmed tremendously, every hint of suspicion evaporated from his bearing.  Now, he simply looked scared.  

 

Judy swallowed, “My turn.”

 

Daniel nodded, and taking one more drink, moved his chair so that it sat in front of her.

“It shouldn’t take but a moment.” Judy closed her eyes, bracing herself for whatever was about to happen.  She took a steadying breath and then opened her eyes.  Lavender met cobalt, as they gazed into each other.  A flutter of anxiety built in her stomach at the intensity of the vulpine’s gaze, her breath catching in her throat.  Time passed slowly, nothing extraordinary happening.  Her gaze didn’t leave his though, until all too suddenly, she fell back into darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

_The Second Law of Magic: The sanctity of another’s mind is the sanctity of the home.  It shall not be violated._

 

_~To clarify, the second law doesn’t cover compelling another with the use of their true name.  Knowing someone’s name isn’t enough to compel them past their ability to choose however.  The second law is really about violating another mortal’s free will.  Mind magic is also really tricky.  I mean, it’s easy to screw things up.  Not only do you have to concern yourself with your target’s thoughts and feelings, but you have to worry about your own.   Being so close to another causes you to merge your thoughts with them.  It’s possible to leave part of yourself behind while screwing around in there.  It changes you, and never in a good way. It’s dangerous stuff, and you shouldn’t even think to try it.   There has been more than one warlock who messed with another’s mind and lost their sanity in the process.  Either way, whatever comes out with you, you won’t be the same.~_

 

* * *

It was dark in the woods at night.  The moon above cast a plethora of shadows across the ground as the pale light filtered through the trees.  All around her, shadows danced and played, as the light above warped through the twisting branches.  She stood in a clearing, her hand raised above her head, a faint light coming from something in her hand.  She turned, as she heard a whimper come from beside her.  A shape, no a child, sat huddled on the ground before her.  Wrapped in a cloth bundle, the babe stirred, letting out a cry that pierced Judy’s heart.  She stooped to gather the child to her, whispering platitudes to the infant.  A low basso growl echoed through the woods, the baby shivering as if cold.  Judy’s nose quivered, a spike of fear shooting down her spine, as she raised the light higher.

 

Twisting, amorphous shapes moved in the shadow.  The only recognizable features, eyes that glowed with feral hunger.  The eyes stood in stark contrast from the darkness, and Judy raised her light higher, willing it to burn brighter.  The light responded, glowing brighter for a moment, its pure light piercing the darkness.  In that instant, the eyes shied away, snarling in frustration.  The child squirmed, and cried out once more.  All too soon, the light dimmed, and the eyes returned, the promise of terrible retribution flashing in their depths.  Judy turned, seeing eyes close in on her from behind and she raised her light again. The eyes retreated only briefly once again, and Judy felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over her.  She fell to a knee, exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her, tempting her to simply give in.  But then she heard the child again, clinging to her for protection, and her resolve hardened.  She wouldn’t let the monsters take the child.  She would fight them, until her last breath, until darkness consumed her.  She would stand as a light in the dark, for as long as necessary.

 

* * *

 

Judy gasped, as she returned to herself.  Her heartbeat raced, and she saw Daniel once again close his eyes.  Breathing deeply, the lines of exhaustion once again visible on his muzzle.   Judy felt Nick’s paw on hers, and she waited, recovering slowly. “The Darkness, it was…”

 

“Shhh Carrots, it’s ok.”

Judy turned to look at Nick, taking comfort in his concerned expression.  Then she turned to Daniel, the unasked question clear on her muzzle. “We all see things differently.  A soul gaze isn’t exactly a biography, but it’s honest.”

He leaned in closer to the pair, his expression somber.  “Gideon was right, Judy.  You don’t know when to quit.”

 

Judy’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked, wide eyed at the wizard. “You saw that?”

 

Daniel nodded, “I see things that shape your future.”  He looked at Nick, subconsciously running his paw over his muzzle.

 

Nick gulped, “It’s. Not a scam huh?”

 

Daniel shook his head. “Nope.”

 

Judy and Nick turned to look at each other, and then back to Daniel.  The wizard was once again eating his food, a quizzical expression on his muzzle. “We need to know what is going on.” Judy said, really appreciating for the first time just what it was she was asking.

 

“Are you certain?” Daniel said between bites.

 

“Yeah, we’re involved now.” Nick said, his throat suddenly very dry. “Forewarned is fore armed.”

 

“Even so.  You can’t know everything that’s out there.  Get involved, and creatures worse than ghasts will take notice.  You may not be able to defend yourselves.”

 

Judy began to speak, and then stopped.  She thought of the terrors they had faced.  How laughably ineffective their weapons had been in the face of the monster from two nights ago, and seriously considered letting it go. But then she remembered the babe in the woods.  How helpless it was in the night, and how she had sworn to defend it. “The Darkness,” she said quietly, “Just makes it easier to see the light.”

 

Daniel paused, and nodded slowly. “Thrice I say and done.” He sighed, and looking freely into their eyes for the first time, asked, “What do you want to know?

“Honestly?” Judy asked, her eyes closing slightly, suspicion raising on her suddenly.

 

“Go ahead, I’ll answer any question you ask.”

 

“And no lies?” Nick said, tone subdued.

 

“Kinda hard to at this point.” Daniel said, popping the last of his burger in his mouth.

 

“What do you mean?” Nick and Judy said, at the same time, in nearly the same voice.

 

Daniel snickered, and said, “A soul gaze gives you insight into a person’s SOUL.  It makes it a little tricky to deceive a person you’ve shared that with.”

 

Judy swallowed again, her trepidation returning. “Let’s start with the other night. What was that thing I hit with our cruiser?”

 

“A Mara.”

 

“What’s a Mara?” Nick asked, picking up a curly fry.  He sighed and set it back down again. Judy gaped at the fox. In the years she had known him, Nick had never had trouble eating.  It was rare to see him without some form of snack on hand, something she regularly warned him about as he got older.  For the first time in as long as she could remember, it seemed Nick had lost his appetite.

 

Daniel hummed, a slurping sound coming from the soda he was finishing. “A nightmare. It’s a type of phobophage.”The cops stared blankly at the wizard, and he continued, “A phobophage is a psychic predator from one of the spheres of the spirit world.” Nick blinked, and placed his muzzle in his hands. Judy’s nose twitched, her mind racing. “The spirit world,” Daniel continued, “is sort of like the atmosphere I guess.  It wraps around our world, only it bends in on itself at points that share a common element.  It’s pretty confusing to tell you the truth.   Not to mention dangerous.  As a general rule, you don’t try to get into the spirit world unless you already know where you’re going.”

 

Nick raised a finger, stopping the other fox in his tracks. “So why was that thing here?”

 

Daniel pursed his lips, and then shrugged. “I’m not really sure.” Nick glared at Daniel suspiciously, but he continued, “I’m serious.  There’s only one or two ways I can think to do it.”  Daniel leaned on the table, and raising the fingers on his right paw, counted the options. “Number one, and the least likely in my opinion, is that it came over naturally. Creatures from the spirit world can do that, but only at the influx of intense emotion sympathetic to their nature. The second is if a practitioner brought them over.”

 

Judy drummed the fingers of her right paw on the table.  A dull throb continued to build in her arm, and she was desperately tired. Still, the pain kept her focused as her mind whirled from all of the new information. “Why do you think a practitioner did it?” she asked, her eyes settling on table.

 

“Because, a Mara would need intense fear to cross over.  That sort of thing isn’t common.”

 

Nick snorted, “Mammals are always afraid.  Every movie theater in the city has at least one horror movie on at all times.  Not to mention the fear mammals feel in their everyday lives.”

 

Daniel shook his head, “No, it needs to be deeper than that. More primal.  I am talking the life or death fear someone feels when they are fighting for their lives. That kind of thing is too rare and short lived to bring a Mara over.”

 

“What about those things in the warehouse?  The ghasts?” Judy asked.

 

Daniel hesitated, and rotated his palm back and forth. “Maybe, but my gut says no.  Ghasts are the bottom feeders of the supernatural world.  They tend to hunt only when desperate, or when they get bored. They mostly feed on corpses.” Judy’s mind flashed to the grisly scene from the warehouse, and was very glad she hadn’t eaten any of the greasy fast food.  As it was, Nick looked a little green in the gills, but didn’t say anything. “The problem is a practitioner would need a lot of juice to be able to pull it off.  A warlock or even a wizard, I don’t know.” Daniel shrugged, “I need to find more information before I can be sure.”

 

Nick and Judy shared a look.  They saw in each other’s eyes the fear of the unknown, but also the steely resolve that kept them standing in the line of fire.  The dedication to the mammals of Zootopia.  Their dedication to protecting the innocent, and to each other as partners. “What should we do?” Judy said, her voice resolute.

 

For the first time, Daniel smiled at them.  It was a contained look, but genuine.  “You’re police.  Isn’t investigating crimes sort of your thing?”

 

Nick snorted again, “Yeah, but fighting monsters isn’t.  At least it wasn’t.”

 

In a steady voice, Judy said, “It is now.”

 

Daniel’s smile deepened. “In that case, you guys can keep an eye on the more mundane side of things.”

 

Judy nodded, “You said the fear needed for one of these things could only come from a fight to the death?”

Daniel nodded, and Judy blew out her cheeks. “We can check to see if there have been any other murders like this one.  Would that narrow things down?”

 

Daniel shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt.”  Daniel reached into his coat, and removed a business card from a pocket.  He passed the card over to the pair of cops.  Nick and Judy passed cards of their own to Daniel, and as one, they rose.

 

“Think we can stop these things?” Judy asked, her voice raspy, and tired.

 

“Your damn right we can.” Nick said, and pulled his aviators from his breast pocket.

 

Daniel smiled, and simply nodded.

  
As the trio parted ways, stepping out of the restaurant as a group, they failed to notice as a mammal snapped pictures of them.  If they had, they would have seen the smirk cross the mammal’s muzzle, as the telephoto lens captured the three exiting the establishment, its crosshairs lining up on them one at a time. “Bang.”


	6. Bedtime Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning...some sexual content. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but just a heads up.

 

Judy lay sprawled across her bed, her leg outstretched on a sizable pile of pillows.  It throbbed, even with the pressure taken off it, and she groaned, desperately waiting for the pain medications to take effect.  In the next room, the sound of running water could be heard, as Nick tried desperately to scrub the remnants of the ectoplasm from his fur.  Her mind raced, as she tried to come to grips with everything that had happened over the course of the day; she found that  the impression left from her soul gaze with Daniel was still fresh in her mind.  The shadows still tangible, as well as the light she had cast.  She wasn’t sure what to make of it.

 

The rest of the day had passed relatively quickly.  Neither Judy nor Nick felt overly productive, and for the first time in her career, she had failed to hand out more that one hundred parking tickets in one day.  It had been attributed to her injury, and while she was told that such a thing was to be expected from her, she found the implication still stung her professional pride.  Nick had remained quiet most of the day too, which had left her feeling off.  Altogether, it hadn’t been a good day, and Judy found herself just wanting to forget.  She closed her eyes, hoping to escape some of the pressures of the day with a short rest, but found that the monsters were waiting to greet her when she closed her eyes.  

 

The sound of the shower shut off, and a moment later, Nick appeared, a toothbrush sticking out of his muzzle, as he worked to secure a miniscule teal towel around himself.  Unfortunately, the lack of time spent doing laundry over the past few days meant the towel was one of Judy’s, and as such, he was fighting a losing battle with it.  Bunching the ends of the towel in one paw, he used the other to vigorously brush his tongue, trying to get the taste of ectoplasm out of his mouth.  Ever since his encounter with the ghast,  Nick had an unpleasantly sour aftertaste that stubbornly resisted his attempts to remove it.  It was something akin to the taste one got with a hangover the day after an all night binger.  Spitting into the sink, Nick stuck out his tongue, somewhat raw from his recent activities.

 

“Gaaah.  I can still taste it.” Nick complained, and turned to look towards Judy.

 

“I think we have some mouth wash under the sink” Judy rolled slightly to look at the fox, her eyes sinking lower down his frame.  She grinned, enjoying a little bit of ogling despite the difficulties of the day.  That was one thing she found herself still doing, despite the years they had been together.  Little had changed in that regard, since their first tender night, entwined.  The thought of their first time brought a little color to her ears, as she subconsciously bit her lower lip. 

 

Nick shook his head. “Nah, already used it.  Guess I’ll just have to deal.” He flopped on the bed, towel now trapped beneath him as his tail took to spinning lazy spirals in the air.  He lay so that his head was parallel to hers, eye to eye.  Their difference in sizes meant that it was rare for the pair to be able to face one another.  For a time, Nick lost himself in her lavender eyes, drifting in them.

_ I wonder what it would be like to soul gaze Nick? _

 

The thought came unbidden, shocking her with it’s sudden intensity.  She put a paw to his muzzle, the simple gesture amplified by his near nudity.  A shiver went down his spine, and Judy smiled mischievously.  

 

“So, whatcha thinking about?”

 

The low rumble in Nick’s chest told her exactly what he was thinking about, and Judy felt her own body quiver with anticipation.  The throbbing in her arm and leg faded to the back of her mind, as she scooted to embrace her partner.  It started with a simple kiss, then passion overtook them as they melded together.  Hands met curves, of thigh and hip, as their bodies accommodated one another, pressing together in hunger and need.  For a time, the world ceased to press on them, replaced by a world of sensations.  Of soft caresses,warm breath, and a steady rhythm.  They moved with a gentle passion that did not belie their urgency, made even more so by the fervent desire that had consumed them.  They moved with a familiarity developed over years, each giving, and each taking.  For a time, they reveled in each other, until all too soon, their passion slowed.

 

Gasping, Judy reached out a paw to claim Nick’s, and waited for her beating heart to calm.  Nick’s breath came in steady puffs, ruffling the fur between her ears.  She squirmed, lowering her ears, and sighed in contentment.  “Wow. That was…” Nick made a pleased sound in the back of his throat.  Nick moved to wrap his arms around the doe, enfolding her in russet fur, her back to his chest.  She placed her head on his arm, staring out to the room beyond.  He held her to him then, but she didn’t respond.

 

“Incredible.” Judy said, voice a tad colder then he would have expected given the circumstances.

 

“Judy is something…”  

 

“No Nick.  No.  Everything is…”

Nick shifted his position, and looked downwards towards the top of Judy’s head.  

 

“Things are pretty far from fine.” He let out a puff of air from his muzzle.  The sensation caused a ripple of gooseflesh along her shoulders, and she let out a cry.  Nick smirked insufferably, and patted the top of Judy’s head.

 

“Don’t!” She warned, ears flicking back in annoyance.

 

“Well, tell me what’s up love.”  She turned to face him, still holding paws with the vulpine, as she placed her head against his chest.  She nudged the white fur covering his neck with the end of one finger, scratching him gently.  Nick’s tongue stuck out subconsciously, and he shivered, pulling back from her far enough so that he could look her in the eyes.  She laughed and stuck out her own tongue.  

 

“Turnabout, is fair play.”  She said, a snake charming smile on her muzzle.  She turned introspective once more though, and ran her tongue over her lips, slightly swollen from recent activity.

 

“I’m not really sure about this.”  Nick paused, allowing her to sort out her thoughts before continuing. “It’s just, what have we gotten ourselves into?” He nodded, her doubts from earlier still fresh in his mind.

 

“I guess, I’m just not certain how to take all of this.  I mean, how does this change our lives...you know?”

 

He did know.  Oh, did he.  The past few hours had been one of second guesses, doubt, and anxiety.  The fact Judy was in it with him was one of the reasons he had been as calm as he had.  Hearing her echoing back his own fears though helped fill him with resolve, as it often did when they faced hard times.  He took her muzzle in his paws, and placed one more kiss on her muzzle.  They locked like that, the scent of their mutual affection mixing intoxicatingly in the air. He broke the kiss, keeping her close though, and he whispered, “I do.  But I also know, we can handle it.”

 

Judy smiled.  “We always do don’t we?”

 

“And we always will.”

 

* * *

 

 

_ The Third Law of Magic: Spirits, aliens, and demons shall not be bound to mammal’s flesh.  _

 

_ Amendment: Nor the flesh of the dead. _

_ Make no mistake.   Spirits have no problem coming into our world.   Staying here, however, is another matter entirely.  If a spirit tries to come over, they need a body to do so.  For short stays, they make their own with matter drawn from the spirit world.   However, it takes a great deal of energy to keep a corporeal form, and it strains a spirit to stain here for long.  Some spirits are better at it than others, but ultimately, it’s only a matter of time til they get sent back.  That is, unless, a practitioner can provide a more permanent residence.  The problem is, spirits are pretty ornery, and have a habit of breaking free of whatever hold practitioners have on them.  Powerful spirits frequently try to get novices to summon them, only to turn on them once they are here.  The council had its hands full for years trying to stop it, hence The Third Law.  Eventually, some wily wizards decided to try binding spirits into the bodies of the newly dead.  These first necromancers were an even larger menace, so an amendment was added to the third law.  Even so, many wizards find the prospect of familiars too tempting, and have found other ways to bring spirits into the material world.  My advice, skip it.   They’re frequently more trouble than they are worth. _

 

* * *

 

 

The door to Daniel’s third floor apartment swung in with a squeal, as he placed the end of his staff against the frame.  Power surged all around him, as the workings within his staff acted as a key to the magical defenses he had laid around his home.  It still took a conscious effort however, and if anyone else had tried the stunt, the effects would be explosive.  The wards Daniel had worked into the door were set to go off in the event of a breach, and depending on the forces that were being used, they would answer in kind.  Thus, a burglar might get a shock akin to grabbing an electric fence.  A supernatural threat, on the other hand, would get something an order of magnitude more violent.

 

The door opened to a stairway, that ran into the apartment proper.  The aged wood creaked as Daniel made his way upwards, his breath coming out laboriously.  It had been a long day, and all Daniel really wanted at this time, was to fall down into his couch, and sleep.  He had work to do, however, and needed to get a start on it.  Lives could very well depend on it.  

 

Daniel’s apartment, was neither glamorous, nor particularly homey.  The floors were hardwood, their varnish long since worn, and water stains common throughout.  He had a small combined living room and kitchen, decorated with mismatched furniture that was comfortable, but inexpensive.  Along one wall, a set of french doors, that stuck in humidity of summer, stood open to a small balcony on the side of the building.  A birdcage stood in one corner, it’s bottom littered with the small plastic liquor bottles offered on commercial airlines.  Amongst the bottles, a parrot lay snoring, its multicolored plumage plastered with some form of sticky substance.

 

“Eva, you lush.  You awake?”  Daniel sorted through some of the bottles surrounding the cage.  One, he noticed with a grimace, was isopropyl alcohol.

 

“Fuck off!”  The parrot squawked irritably.  

 

“How are you not dead yet?”   Daniel asked exasperatedly.  “Or blind or whatever.”

 

The parrot blew a raspberry at the wizard.   _ How does she do that without lips? _  Daniel shrugged, and moved towards his small kitchen alcove.  Heading to the sink, he filled a glass of water, which he downed in one long pull.  He refilled the glass, and then found a large bottle of aspirin he kept on the counter.  Chewing three, he grimaced at the taste.  Washing down the dregs with the second glass of water, he slowly started to feel his headache recede.  Stalking over to the cage, he rapped on it with the end of his staff, causing the parrot within to shriek in protest.  It began cursing him, weaving such an eloquent tapestry of profanity, he felt he should almost take notes.  Slowing its tirade, Eva looked up to Daniel, bloodshot eyes apparent, and literally, flipped him the bird.

 

Eva was a familiar.  A creature of the spirit world, brought over and anchored into a living body in exchange for knowledge and power.  Daniel had summoned the sirly spirit years ago, and had long wandered whether the effort had been worth it.  The spirit’s knowledge was certainly vast, but keeping a familiar was tedious at times.  First, the spirit needed a body, one that wasn’t a mammals.  Second, the spirit had to be kept in line.  While there were oaths, and spells set in place for such things, Daniel found bribery to be just as good for maintaining a working relationship.  Eva had a taste for spirits, and so he kept a liquor cabinet stocked with a variety of alcoholic beverages.  During his incarceration, however, it appeared that Eva had gone on a binger.  Daniel made  a mental note to stock up once again, hoping that he could find a sale somewhere.

 

Eva groaned, and righted herself in her cage.  The familiar gazed blearily up to Daniel, fully taking him in for the first time.

 

“The hell happened to you?”  The parrot preened herself, and walked stiffly about.  The effects of the hangover lifting miraculously as she did so.  

 

“Fought a Mara.  Got taken in for questioning by ZPD.”

 

Eva winced. “Did you find your rabbit?”

 

“Dead. Also encountered a pack of ghasts”  Eva whistled, the waddled to the door of her cage.  She maneuvered the handle open, so that a small ramp opened in the side.  Stretching her wings, she flew up to sit on Daniel’s shoulder.

 

“How many?”

 

“Not sure, 10, maybe more.”

 

“And you survived that?”  Her voice was matronly, almost like a kindly grandmother.  It had the hint of some accent Daniel couldn’t place, and her tones were usually quite pleasant.  If not for her drinking, and swearing, she would have been fine company.

 

“I...uh… had help.”  Daniel rubbed the back of his head with one paw.  Eva pecked his hand, which he withdrew with a curse.

 

“Keep that up and you’ll go bald.”  She adjusted her position on his shoulder, flapping her wings slightly to aide her balance. “Who was it?”

 

“A pair of cops.  They also helped take down the Mara.” Eva whistled again, the shrill sound ringing painfully in Daniel’s ear. “Hey!”

 

“Payback.” She said simply. “For leaving me alone for two nights, and for the damn wake up call.”  The familiar paced some more, and dropped down to Daniel’s arm, so she could look at the fox.

 

To say Daniel looked ruffled would be a colossal understatement.  His ears sagged, held down by more than that ridiculous hat he insisted on wearing.   _ Honestly, it was like he was trying to give every vixen in the city the impression that he was a psycho.  _  His fur was mussed, and he smelled faintly of corruption.  His eyes were bloodshot, and he must have been slinging some serious power.  He was practically drooping with fatigue, and she clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

 

“You look terrible.”

 

“Jail does that to mammals.” He said dryly.

 

“I take it you plan on being reckless, and working despite your obvious need for rest?”

 

“Bite me… ow.”  _ Should have known better _ , Daniel thought rubbing his paw.

 

“At least get a shower.”  Eva leaned forward, and took a big whiff of the vulpine. “You stink.”

 

Daniel scowled at the familiar, but Eva had long been immunized to his glares.  Sighing dramatically, Daniel said, “Fine.”  He dropped his equipment, right where he stood, and started shedding clothing as he made his made to his bedroom.   Eva wolf whistled as he did so, causing a shiver of embarrassment to travel up his spine.  Returning the parrot’s gesture from earlier, he slammed the door to  his small bedroom shut.  Moving into bathroom, he started up the shower, and proceeded to get as clean as possible in its anemic spray.

 

Ten minutes later, Daniel was shivering, as he toweled off.  “Damn water heater,” he said through chattering teeth.  One of the downsides to operating as a freelance PI was that funding was always in short supply.  As such, he made due as best he could, by living as inexpensively as possible.  His rent was low, but that came with certain unexpected burdens.  Adding into that fact was that technology frequently misbehaved around practitioners. As such, Daniel had to go without many modern conveniences, and often had to do with cold showers.  Shivering, Daniel worked to get the rest of the water out of his white fur.  He searched for some clothes, and crawled into some jeans, and a Black Sable t-shirt.  Still chilled, he gathered a long flannel bath robe, and draped it around his shoulders.  Originally designed for a larger mammal, the hem of the robe drug behind the fox as he walked back into his living room.   Daniel had thought it particularly wizardly.  Eva thought it looked ridiculous.  Walking towards a desk, set into the far corner of the room, he began retrieving components he would need to cast a detection spell.

 

“I take it you need to search for whoever is bringing these spirits across the gauntlet?”

 

“Yeah, any thoughts on how they did that?” Eva scratched the bottom of her beak with one clawed foot.  

 

“Could be a ritual.  That could certainly provide enough power for something like this.”

 

“Sounds like a good place to start.  Got any ideas on how to accomplish that?”

 

“You’ll need something bigger than that tracking spell you always use.  The city is just too big.   We might be able to whip up something though.  Do you have any more of that rum you got for that missing mammal case last week?”

 

Daniel looked skeptically at the parrot, perched as she was on a lamp atop his desk.

 

“Is this for the spell?”

 

“No.  I’m thirsty.”

 

“Work first, then drink.”  

 

Eva muttered something under her breath, and began to list off the ingredients to a potion. Daniel gathered the ingredients, placing them into a pot he kept back  for potion brewing.  While it would have been nice to setup a proper lab, he simply lacked the space.  As such, his kitchen tended to pull double duty.  He definitely didn’t want to make the mistake of brewing a potion in a pot he used to cook food.  He only needed to make that mistake once.  

 

“So what will all of this do exactly?” He said, as he collected the last of the ingredients and moved to the stove.

 

“You know those prayers bowls used by monks in some countries?”  Daniel nodded, making certain he got the ingredients as Eva had listed them.  “This potion will cause your focus crystal to behave similarly.  A catalyst will cause it to resonant.  Dip it in this stuff, and it should home in on any expenditure of power where a spirit has been brought over.”

 

“Won’t that just take me to where something has already happened?” Eva cocked her head as she looked at the wizard.

 

“Tell me you are smarter than this.”  Daniel thought it out, muzzle drawn in a tight expression.

 

“If we can track the expenditure by its release of power, it will have to be recent. ”

 

“Meaning you can catch the summoner before they have a chance to escape.  Gack the summoner, and the spirits will return from where they came.  You will have to move quickly though.”

 

“Not the best solution.” Daniel muttered.

 

“Well it’s the best I’ve got, unless you want to start making deals again.” Daniel shuddered.

 

“Fine. Your way it is.”

 

Daniel placed the reagents on the stove, and set them to a steady boil.  He held the last ingredient however, waiting for the right moment.  Gathering in his will, he focused on the result he desired the spell to take.  Magic, more than anything, is dependant on the practitioner's intent.  Keeping one’s concentration is imperative if one seeks to get results.  Failure at a critical moment could cause a spell to literally blow up in a wizard’s face. The years had taught Daniel focus, and he poured his will into the potion, releasing his power with a whisper.

 

“Malum. Metum. Quaerere.”  With that, he crumpled the last ingredient, sprinkling it into the potion.  The leaves of the purple flowers dissolved into the mixture, bubbling away.  They had been hard to come by in recent years, but given the types of things he fought, he needed to smuggle in a small supply of the rare midnicampum.  They were invaluable for tracking predatory spirits, since the flowers were, magically speaking, the essence of fear itself.  Daniel settled in, to wait for the spell to take shape, hoping that this time, he wouldn’t be too late.

 

* * *

 

 

The case file weighed heavily on Jonathan Wolfard.   He sat in bed, his wife getting ready in their master bathroom, as he reviewed the details of the file.  The fire from earlier today had been an attempt to cover the murder, and the DA was pushing for the ZPD to wrap the case up in a hurry.  While property damage was cut to a minimum, being in a condemned building to begin with, an arsonist loose in the city was bad for publicity.  Not to mention two officers wounded the previous night, by an alleged predator gone savage. It made for fantastic headlines.  Of course, it meant for long nights, which was hard on the veteran cop.  His wife bore it with stoicism and grace, citing it as her duty as his wife.  He knew though that it disrupted their lives, and he was grateful for a partner who understood such sacrifices.  She came to bed then, the whisper of her pajama bottoms on the carpet announcing her proximity.  The creak of mattress springs, and the sudden warm weight on his side, brought a smile to his face, as he bent down to kiss her head.

 

“It’s 8.”  Rebecca Wolford's voice was soft, and feminine, filled with the resolve of a career family mammal.    There were those who criticised her choice to be a stay at home mother, but Jonathan never took her contributions for granted.  She was really the foundation of their relationship, and without her, he knew we would be helpless.  Putting down the file with a sigh, he stood and stretched.  His wife looked to him with concern, so he smiled at her, and kissed her once more.  He headed out the door of their room, to walk down the hall of their modest home.  He turned to find his two children, already waiting for him in their bunkbeds, eyes lit with excitement.   

One tradition that Jonathan never missed, even when he was on night patrol, was to tell his kits a nighttime story. He hoped that it was a tradition that his sons would pass on to their own children when they grew.   He cherished those moments, when he could lock out the world and spend it with his family.  He treasured them for the simple pleasure of playing make believe.

“Time already is it?” He said with the hint of a grin.

 

“Yes papa.”

 

“Did you brush your fangs?”

 

“Yes papa.”

 

“And say your prayers?”

 

“Yes papa.”

 

“Well then.” He paused, allowing the anticipation to build. “What should our story be about tonight?”

 

The children exploded into motion, each trying to get their father’s attention over the other.

 

“A pirate!”

 

“No robots!”

 

The twins disagreed, and carried on.  Jonathan laughed, and raised his hands to stop their arguing.

“I suppose I can always tell a story about robot pirates.”  The children cheered, and Jonathan began telling them an improvised story.  Before joining the force, Jonathan had considered a career in acting.  He had been heavily involved in theater when in school, and he enjoyed the attention of being on stage.   However, he couldn’t justify it when he really got down to it.   Instead, he opted for a role as a public servant.  He had done well for his family no doubt, but if he was honest with himself, he missed performing.   As he reached the crescendo of his tale, his phone began to ring.  He ended the tale, and hurriedly stepped outside the twins’ room.  Seeing that his partner, Rudolph McHorn was calling, we bid the children good night.  He rushed to their empty bathroom, and answered the call.

 

“John, sorry to bother you.”  The wolf saw his wife rush into the twins’ room to complete the night time routine.   _ God bless that woman. _

 

“Not a problem.  What’s up.”  It wasn’t like the stoic rhino to call him without reason.  Trepidation rose in his throat, as the line was silent for a moment.

 

“We’ve got another murder. It’s bad.”

 

Jonathan winced, shutting the door to the small bathroom. “Where at?”

 

Another pause.  “Hump Street.  Sahara Square.”

 

“Who’s the victim?”

 

“Victims,” McHorn corrected.

 

Jonathon’s throat burned as bile made it’s presence known.  “How many?”

 

“16.  All prey.”

 

“My God.” Jonathan murmured.  “I’ll be right there.”  

 

Jonathan apologized to his wife, and gathered his equipment.  He headed out the door, taking pains to remain as quiet as possible, while he made his way to his car.  He started the ignition, and pulled out of the driveway onto the main road.  He thought of his story from a moment before, glad once more to have a chance to live a moment in another world.  A world without monsters.


	7. Honest Intentions

Chapter 7: Honest Intentions

 

Nick jerked awake at the sudden racket coming from his bedside table.  He blinked, rubbing at his eyes as he looked to the clock on their bedroom wall.  He scowled, seeing that it was still four hours before their alarm was due to wake them for the day.  Considering how early police officers had to be up for their morning shifts, Nick was in a mood. Judy groaned beside him, pawing gently at his muzzle, “Make it stop.”  Nick reached down to his phone, noticing that the number on the caller ID was unknown to him.  With a grunt, he ignored the call, sending it to voicemail.   Nick laid his head down, and closed his eyes.  His phone rang again, the same unknown number showing on his screen. Once again, Nick sent it to voice mail, staring at his phone, as if daring it to ring again.  The merry jingle of his ring tone echoed off the walls, and Judy groaned, placing a pillow over her ears. Nick answered the call with a snarl “Wilde and Hopps efficient time keepers. May I interest you in a new clock this morning?”

“I found where another spirit has crossed over.”

 

Nick sat, dumbfounded.  “What?”

 

The phone connection popped, a persistent static droning in the background. 

 

“I found out where another spirit crossed over, and I need backup.” A thrum echoed deeply in the background, the sound of large industrial machines working.  Nick looked down to Judy, her eyes now open, questioning.  He placed a paw to the receiver on his phone and explained.

 

“Did he say where?”  Already, the doe was moving, heading towards her wardrobe to collect some clothes. 

 

“Where do you need us to be?”  Daniel gave him the address, a factory of some sorts in the Northeast Corner of Savannah Central.

 

“How much trouble should we expect?”  Nick paused, looking with concern at his partner.  She was struggling into a pair of panties, basic and utilitarian, but never the less flattering.  She sucked in a breath as she worked the fabric over her injured leg, causing a sharp pang of sympathy to race through the vulpine’s heart.

 

“I don’t know.”

 Nick swallowed, and then reached into his bedside drawer.  When he first joined the force, Nick hadn’t been the most comfortable with firearms.  He had eschewed weapons in his hustling days, preferring to talk his way out of situations where violence looked eminent.  Eventually though, he had learned to rely on his equipment, and had even taking a liking to target shooting with Judy on some weekends.  On a lark, he had purchased a set of shotgun shells that were designed more for spectacle than effectiveness.  He placed the shells next to his wallet, and stretched.

“We’ll been there ASAP.”

 

A moment later, Daniel hung up the payphone, and leaned back against the phone booth’s wall.  He rubbed at the bridge of his muzzle with two fingers, stifling the yawn that threatened to overwhelm him.  He had spent the last five hours between futzing with his potion and taking a short nap at Eva’s insistence.  As unwelcome as the familiar’s advice had been, it had been sound.  The vulpine had a terrible habit of pushing himself past his endurance, and had nearly been killed more than once because of his carelessness.  So he had slept, and eaten, but hadn’t waited once the spell had been completed.  Even now, he heard, more than felt, a steady pulse coming from the focus crystal tied to his left wrist.  A gentle metallic hum that hung in the air, intensifying as he got closer to his target.  He considered going ahead, scouting the area before the pair of cops arrived, but held himself back.  The past two encounters with predatory spirits hadn’t gone well for Daniel.  While few would call Daniel smart, and Eva was chief among them, he wasn’t too stupid to learn from past mistakes.  And so he waited, hoping quietly that the duo wouldn’t be too late.

 

* * *

 

 

Judy felt woefully out of place in the back of the taxi.   Normally, she and her partner arrived to crime scenes, sirens blaring, behind the wheel of their powerful police cruiser.   It left quite the impression on their arrival, as the sight and sound tended to intimidate the criminals they often pursued.  Now, they were slowly approaching their destination, a battle with some was yet unidentified spiritual entity, in the back of a white and black checkered cab.  The cabbie hadn’t commented on their attire, a detail for which Judy was immensely grateful.  She and Nick both were decked out in their crisis gear, tactical vests adding so much bulk to the pair that they were grateful for the cab’s large bench seats.  Nick sat, head leaned back and eyes closed, trying to grab as much sleep as possible before arriving.  Judy meanwhile, stared out the window, absent mindedly chewing on her claws.

All of her life, Judy knew what she had wanted.  While that auspicious day at the Annual Bunny Burrow Carrot Days Festival had helped to cement her choice, she had always known that she wanted to be a cop.  She liked helping people, and the idea of making a real difference in mammal’s lives had truly felt like a calling.   Since joining the force, however, she began to doubt whether she was really making that large of a difference after all.  Sure there had been the Night Howler case, but most of her work had been relatively mundane.  Even when there was a bigger case, it often ended unsatisfactorily.   Criminals went to jail, but recidivism was high, and they often ended up doing the same crimes again and again.  It was enough to wear down any cop’s enthusiasm.  Despite it all, she was dedicated, but found that the initial spark that drove her to excel had faded.  Now, though, she discovered there was more to the world.  And it frightened her.

Turning to look once more at her partner, she saw that her presumption that he was asleep was in error.  He peered at her through lidded eyes, a blank expression across his features.  She turned away then, not wanting to talk about such things in front of the cabbie.  While it was unlikely the cabbie would comment on their conversation, she still felt embarrassed to voice her concerns out loud.  She heard Nick shuffle beside her, the rustling of his gear sounding loudly in the enclosed space.  She heard the clicking of clawed paws on glass, as Nick typed something on his phone, then paused as he waited for something.  A moment later, a buzz sounded from Judy’s phone.  Taking out the iCarrot, she noticed that she had a text message from Nick.

 

1:21

_What’s up fluff?_

She looked to Nicked once more, and saw him smirking.  Raising his phone, he waggled it in her direction.  She raised an eyebrow, the turned to look at the cabbie, comprehending.

1:21

_Are we crazy?_

1:22

_Probably.  But what you gonna do?_

_I’m serious.  We’re due in for work in 3 and a half hours.  How do we explain this?_

Nick frowned, considering for a few moments.  Then his fingers moved, tongue half way out the side of his muzzle as he considered his response.

 

1:24

_Do you want to head home?  Tell Coleman he is on his own and get some more sleep?_

_No._

Judy scowled, trying organize her thoughts and worries, failing to make sense of all of them.

 

1:27

_I’m just anxious is all.  It isn’t like they train you for this sort of thing in the academy._

_Not everything can be found in a classroom._

_You mean to tell me you’re FINE with all of this?_

Judy felt herself feeling a little exasperated.  Nick had been the one questioning the validity of everything earlier today.  Yet now he seemed perfectly collected.  She found the reversal a little irritating.

 

1:28

_I’m not sure fine is the way I would describe it.  Look, I’m as uncertain as you, but the fact is we are going to help whether we want to or not._

_AND?!_

_And that means there’s no reason to stress about it.  We’ve already made our decision.  No use second guessing ourselves._

Judy paused, rereading the last text message again.  She looked up to Nick, and saw he had once again slipped into a neutral expression.  He shrugged at her, then typed another message on his phone.

 

1:30

_You’re a helper Judy, and I’m in it with you._

Warmth filled her heart then, compounded with a healthy dose of guilt.  She was grateful to Nick for what he said, and she was happy to know he had her back.  She realized then also, that a large portion of her anxiety wasn’t really about the upcoming battle.   It was about her and Nick’s future. Unknowingly, she had made a decision about Nick’s proposal.  As much as she wanted to share her life with the fox, she realized that there were some things she simply wasn’t willing to compromise on.  It weighed heavily on her, and for a moment, she thought to tell him her decision right then.  Quickly though, sensibility came storming back to her and she realized now was not the time.  She would break it to him at home, where he was better able to get a handle on the news.  She hoped it wouldn’t hurt him too deeply, but was never the less certain of her decision.  He had asked her for honesty, and she meant to give it to him, no matter the cost.  So she smiled at him instead, and returned the phone to her pocket.  Nick did likewise, and resumed his sleepy expression.  Silence, once again, asserted itself in the cab.

 

* * *

 

 

_The Fourth Law of Magic: The flow of time shall not be altered, retarded, or reversed._

_~Short and simple.  Don’t muck about with the timeline.  Mostly it’s all stuff you have heard before.  Paradoxes, meeting yourself, yada yada.  However, as a practitioner, you will face more temptations than others to play around with time.  A wizard’s strength lies in his/her ability to prepare for unforeseen outcomes.  When your life is on the line, it is going to be really damned tempting to buy yourself more time to prepare.  But like most of the laws, there’s a good reason to avoid.  You know how there are things out there, things even practitioner’s don’t even know about?  Well, remember that, and the fact that time and space are really one and the same.  Screw around with time, and it will light you up like a star in the murk.  You’ll stand out, to all of the things that don’t see time like we do.  Do that, and no amount of power in the world will save you from the consequences.  After all, there are worse fates than death._

 

* * *

 

 

Daniel heard the car approaching, starting as he did so.  Rubbing a hand over his sore neck and shoulders, he realized he had fallen asleep standing in the phone booth.   He supposed it was fortuitous that so few people still used the devices, but couldn’t help but feel disappointed in himself for his lapse of attention.  It was also somewhat embarrassing to meet his backup from outside a phone booth.  While Bolt The Super Dog may have been able to pull it off, it wasn’t very wizardly.  Nick was the first to step out of the cab, sweeping the street left and right as he did so.  Then, the vulpine stepped behind the cab, and hopped up to the rear bumper, which the cabbie sprung open.  He withdrew a black athletics bag from the trunk, dropping it to the pavement with a heavy thud.  Judy, meanwhile, was busy paying their fare.  A moment later and slipped down to the ground.  She walked with a pronounced limp, but had eschewed the use of her crutch.  Both the cops seemed armed for bear, and as the cabbie pulled away, Daniel felt an unfamiliar sense of gratitude wash up through him.  He cleared his throat.

“Uh, thank you for coming.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.  After all, you take us to such nice places.” Nick had taken up the athletic duffle, and slung it over a shoulder.

“Well you know us wizards.  Like to keep things all mysterious and lively.”

Judy stepped up to the curb, stretching her arms behind her back as she did so. “Do all wizards have a thing for industrial complexes?

Daniel shrugged. “You might say we all have complexes.” 

Nick snickered “Heh”

“I just go where the bad guys make me. You two ready?”

Judy nodded, checking her weapon in her holster.  “Ready.”

“Any ideas about what’s in there? Did you scout out the area?”

Daniel flinched. “Uhh, no. No idea.”

Judy gave him a penetrating look, taking in his appearance.

“You fell asleep didn’t you?”

Daniel scowled at the bunny, muttering something about grumpy wizards under his breath. Nick snorted.

“Oh for the love…” Judy pinched the bridge of her muzzle, then looked up at the two vulpine’s.   Both seemed to be avoiding each other’s gaze.

“Fine, how about we do like before?  Daniel, you take point and use that shield of yours.  Nick, you come next so you can cover Daniel.   I’ll cover our backs.”

“Uh Ok … but make sure you guys give me a head’s up before you fire those guns of yours.”

Nick’s ears flicked back. “How come?”

“If you accidentally fire into the shield, the bullets might reflect back.” Daniel pantomimed something small and furry exploding. “Splat.”

A shudder ran down Judy’s spine. “Duly noted. We ready?”

Looking to each other, the trio nodded, and took their positions.

“You must gather your party before adventuring forth.” Daniel muttered under his breathe.

“What?” Judy said, not quite able to make it out.

“Nothing.  Let’s go gang.”

 

* * *

 

 

The crime scene was a disaster.  A security guard had come in to check on the machinery around 7:45, idle throughout the night, when he had discovered the grizzly scene.  He had raced back to his little shack, set beside the building’s main entrance, to radio the ZPD.  When the first officers arrived, they had checked among the scattered bodies to see if there had been any survivors.  Jonathon supposed that it was a small mercy that none had.  In the twenty odd years he had been a part of the force, he had seen his fair share of violence.  From car accidents, to gang violence, he had seen it all.  He had seen the horrors that animals could unleash upon each other and had spent a life time cleaning up the mess.  In all of his years though, he had never seen anything like the massacre before him, and he found himself feeling like a lost pup in the woods.

The factory floor contained the corpses of 16 different mammals, all of different species and sizes.  The largest, a zebra, had been eviscerated, its body hung haplessly over a conveyor belt.  The smallest, was a rodent of some fashion, though the gore made it hard to tell for sure.  Some of the bodies were scattered throughout the room, but most had been pressed against the large bay doors set in the side of the building, where trains brought materials to the factory for manufacture. They were slumped in a huddle, leaned against each other as they had tried to escape whatever fate had befallen them.  Cold fury built in Wolfard’s stomach at the sight of a ferret kit, crushed between the corpses.  A moment later, his partner came from outside, the rhino huffing like a locomotive from his haste.

 

“Barred on the other side.  Someone placed a steel girder across the exit.” McHorn grunted, and turned to look at the timber wolf from the corner of his eye. 

 

Wolfard closed his eyes, a quiet prayer on his lips. He opened them, focusing once more on the child.  “Someone locked these mammals in here.” He stated more than asked

 

“Looks that way.”

 

“Did forensics come up with anything yet?”

 

“You know that will take some time yet.”

 

Wolfard sighed. “I know.”

 

McHorn gave his partner a sidelong glance. “They did discover the victims were killed by a predator of middling size.  Judging by the claw marks.”

 

“Another savage predator.  My God Rudolph.  It’s happening again.”

 

“We need to find our perpetrator so we can get a lab test done.  But right now, there’s no sign of the mammal that did this.”

 

“I take if there are still teams sweeping the area?”

 

“Yeah, but it’s a big place.  Gonna take hours before we search out every nook and cranny.  It’s also possible that the perp made it out.”

 

Wolfard looked to the Rhino, who stood stoically as always.  Still, he knew his partner better than most.  Deeper down, Rudolph was furious.  “We’ll catch them.  Have some faith Rudolph.”

 

The Rhino’s knuckles popped, as he clenched his paws into fists.  The sound like a log in a fire echoed through the chamber, bouncing intrusively through the still, quiet air. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Nick moved behind the smaller vulpine, his pistol sweeping the area as they entered the darkened chamber.  A low hum sounded in the air, like a wind chime in a steady breeze.   The sound came from the crystal held suspended by the wizard, its many facets alight with a verdant glow.  He felt his fatigue bleeding away as adrenaline caused his heart beat to hasten.  He resisted the urge to pant, as his nerves strained, like the string of a bow drawn too tightly. 

The building was a working factory, its machinery all dormant, save for a deep thrum that seemed ever present throughout the chamber.  The lights were out, save for a few emergency lights at some doors along one wall, and up higher along a lattice work of catwalks.  As such, their little entourage stood out like a sore thumb in the darkness.  If it wasn’t for the comforting weight of heavier ordinance in the duffle on his back, Nick suspected he might feel a little anxious.  He grinned, _Ice cold Wilde._

Judy brought up the party’s rear, her delicate ears straining to make out any hostile sounds in the dark.   It was difficult, however, and she found herself on edge, heart beating a rapid staccato in her breast.  They moved quietly, and efficiently.  Moments passed as they swept the area, finding nothing out of sorts.

 

“You know, I’m gonna feel a little put out if we all got out of bed for nothing.”  Nick drawled, shifting his stance a little. 

 

Judy winced at the noise, catching herself before she leapt at the sudden noise.  Her arm itched unbearably, and she longed to give it a solid scratching.  She didn’t lower her guard though, instead asking. “Daniel, what’s the verdict?” She couldn’t make out his expression from his position, but she saw the tip of his hat sweep side to side, as he held his crystal aloft.  Its soft light brightened for a moment, illuminating the area directly around them, revealing nothing out of the ordinary.

 

“The pulse is quickening.  We’re getting close.  Get ready people.”  Daniel whispered.  He gripped the long wooden staff a little more tightly in his right paw, and motioned for the group to continue on.  Through a set of double doors, they proceeded into a mechanic’s shop.  Tools hung in neat rows along three walls, with mobile benches and tool boxes spread from the center of the room, leaving a circle of cleared space in the middle.  Inside the clearing, something was wrong.  Judy couldn’t quite put her paw on it, but there was a disturbance in the air.   It felt too cold, almost like someone had the left the door to a refrigerator open.  The room also smelled of musk, and some other scent that Judy wasn’t sure about.  It was heavy and thick, like cotton covering her senses.  It smelt of heat, and danger, and of violence.  It appalled her as it excited her, and she could feel her breath speeding, as her heart raced.  It was the scent of a predator descending on its prey.

Daniel twisted his head, and looked back to see Judy’s eyes widening, the sclera showing white around lavender.  Nick on the other hand was flaring his nostrils, his pupils contracting into slits.  He sympathized, feeling his own sense alighting with an inner fire he couldn’t quite explain.  Daniel held out a paw, feeling the arcane energies present.  He encounter a void, or rather a cut, in the fabric of the gauntlet.

 

“What is that?” Judy said, voice high and tinny.

 

“A portal.  Someone’s opened a way to the spirit world.”  Daniel frowned. “One second.”

 

He gathered his power, drawing it into his staff from the surrounding environment.  Sigils, carved with precision and care, erupted into azure light. The portal played marry hell with his focus however, as random energies mingled in the still swirling air. He closed his eyes, concentrating.  He blocked out sight, and sound, focusing his senses only on his magic.  He felt the drawing of the energy, the arcane might necessary to keep the portal open.  Then, when ready, he drew his staff in a vertical slash, the light in the staff’s sigils blazing a furious light.

 

“Prope Semita!”

 

The light flashed, and slowly, the ends of the portal began to knit themselves closed.  As it did so, the smell in the room lessened, and the temperature rose.  It took but a few heart beats for the portal to disperse, but as it did, the trio began to recover.  They were all breathing hard, as if they had run an incredible distance. 

 

“Ok, why do I feel like I need to go lift some weights or something?”  Nick paced, restless energy tingling in his limbs. 

 

“That portal linked to the spiritual realm.  Looks like we were right. A practitioner is opening these portals.”

 

“Why?”  Judy asked breathlessly.  The experience had left her feeling terrified.  Unlike the foxes, she felt suddenly that her best course of action was to get very far from this place, and in a hurry.  She warred with her emotions, beating them into submission with sheer determination, but she couldn’t quiet keep her legs from shaking.  She leaned heavily against one of the rolling tool chests, its stability providing a comforting weight.

 

“Another mystery.”  Daniel shrugged, then paused.  The humming continued from his crystal, gaining in volume.

 

“Wait. Doesn’t that mean…”

 

A shadow shifted adopt a stack of boxes in the far corner of the room.  A sleek, deadly looking shadow crouched in the darkness, invisible save for the glow of red eyes and white, dripping fangs.

 

“Trouble.” The wizard said, raising his shield.

 

The creature pounced, attempting to rake Daniel with long claws on the end of black furred paws. The sudden sight of a snarling mammal almost caught the wizard off guard, but he managed to erect the shield at the last minute, causing a naked panther to bounce off the shield.  The panther landed in a crouch on the other side of the room, snarling in fury as it prepared for another lunge.

 

“Manchas?”  Judy gasped.  But no, this panther was different from the mammal she and Nick had escape all those years ago.  This panther was younger, and bore different markings around his muzzle and flanks.  He was also completely covered in wet, sticky blood, fur matted on the sides of his muzzle and paws.

 

Nick went to raise his pistol, but Judy pulled it down to the side.

 

“He’s not a spirit Nick.  Tranquilizers only.”  He turned to look sharply at her, but didn’t complain.  He replaced his pistol in his holster, instead drawing the air powered tranquilizer.  The panther leapt again, this time angling its body to come at them from the side, but once again, the wizard’s shield held the creature at bay.  If slashed a slaw at the shield, snarling as it did so, and sparks flew from the dome of incandescent energy.  Daniel grunted with effort, and the panther leaned on the shield, causing it to flare as it bore all of its weight down onto the shield.

 

“Gotta do something.” He groaned, slamming his will through the ring on his left paw. 

 

“Drop the shield!”

 

“What?!”  Daniel said, surprise causing his ears to fly up, catapulting his hat off his head.

 

“Drop the shield!” Nick said again, aiming his pistol at the wizards head.  Daniel nodded, and with a force of effort, pushed the enraged feline off of his shield.  He then dropped to a knee, lowering the shield as he went.  The hiss of pneumatic pistons sounded as Nick fired his part pistol.  The panther growled in pain and rage, as the tiny dart puctured its side.

 

“How long does it take for the drug to work?” The wizard panted, paw gripping the wood of his staff tightly.

 

“About 5 seconds.” Judy responded. “Depending on weight and…” The panther charged the trio again, and Judy and Nick opened up with their pistols.  Dart after dart struck the panther, yet it continued at them.  Leaping, it landed with both paws atop Daniel’s chest, as its muzzle sought his throat.  He caught the panther’s maw, slipping his staff between its jaws, and held it at arm’s length as best he could.  Blood dripped from its maw as the cops continued to put dart after dart into the creature, spattering the trapped wizard with gore.  Daniel felt muscles burn in his arms and his chest, as the panther’s maw slowly descended, closer and closer to Daniel’s throat.  Concrete met the wizards head, as he retreated as far as he could before the savage predator. Daniel flinched, eyes closed and ears flattened to his skull.  The panther drew nearer, until its muzzle was barely an inch from Daniel’s muzzle, when it gave out a long and deep snore.  Opening his eyes, Daniel saw that the darts had finally taken effect, and heaved a sigh of relief. 

 

“Aww, they look so cozy.” Nick smirked at Daniel, elbows on knees as he looked down at the wizard.

 

“Oh yes.  C-u-t-e.” Judy added, replacing the spent magazine in her tranquilizer.

 

Daniel grunted, attempting to free himself from the slumbering feline. 

 

“Would you like a hand?” Nick asked, replacing the tranquilizer to his belt.

 

“Yeff…” Daniel said, failing to take a deep breath. “Would be damned polite of yu…”

 

Nick began to applaud.  Judy couldn’t help herself, she laughed, shaking her head as the adrenaline buzz worked its way out of her system.  Daniel cursed and tried once more to free himself.  It was a bad job though, and eventually, Nick acquiesced to helping his fellow vulpine out.  Daniel was just managing to work his way out, when a door across work floor boomed open, and duo of uniformed police officers worked their way into the room. They spotted Nick and Judy, and moved forward, calling out to them.

 

“Hopps? Wilde? That you?” A lion asked from behind the glare of a flashlight, pistol not quite pointed at

the trio.

 

“It’s us Delgato.” Judy answered in a raised voice, turning her head to address the pair. “You alright?”

 

“The hell are you doing here?”  Grizzoli rumbled, his attention drawn to Daniel, frozen where he was, blood dripping from his paws.  The bear leveled his pistol at the vulpine, who started to subconsciously raise his paws.

 

“Isn’t that the guy they brought in for questioning the other day?” Delgato gestured to Daniel, his mane curling gently in the slight breeze coming through the opened door. He turned his attention downwards to the sleeping panther. He let out a sharp whistle, and Grizzoli turned his pistol to the sleeping predator.

 

“Yeah… it is.” Judy said, not liking the direction this conversation was turning.  She realized that Daniel would suddenly be in a very uncomfortable spot.  While she and Nick could slip by entering the area on a technicality, Daniel was a civilian.  She needed to stall the pair for a moment so she could think up a good excuse for why he was with them.

 

“Looks like you found our perp.”  Delgato gestured to the panther, and Nick obliged him by cuffing the panther’s paws, tops and bottoms, to each other.  Daniel, meanwhile, looked like he was trying to blend into the background.

 

“So what are you guys doing here?”  Grizzoli asked, eyes squinting in suspicion.   “You weren’t assigned as one of the search parties from what I know.”

 

“Following up on a lead.” Nick replied, stretching his back out.  Judy noticed his posture was calm and collected, and she tried to emulate it, attempting to deescalate the situation further.

 

“Uh Huh, and what about him.” The lion hadn’t put his weapon away, but it was now pointed at the ground.  Judy thought, trying to wrack her brain for a reasonable excuse.  Unfortunately, the lack of sleep and the lingering effects of the pain medications made her feel like her brain had been packed in straw, and shipped across the sea.  Fortunately, she had a sly fox as her partner.

 

“He’s a consultant.  Been helping us track down leads back to the Old Zootopia incident from the other night.”  Delgato and Grizzoli exchanged glances, then looked back at Nick.

 

“A consultant?” Grizzoli reached a lumbering paw up to his harness and tugged, adjusting its heavy straps to sit more comfortably on his broad shoulders.  Delgato’s face pinched together, as he contemplated what he had just heard.

“Uh huh, that’s right.” Judy added. “According to department regulations, officers can hire consultants with specialties outside the purview of an officer’s training.  He’s been working on several linked cases and we are tapping into his expertise.” 

 

The duo looked to each other again, and shrugged.  Judy saw nick smiling, as he mouthed the word hot.  She dropped her ears behind her back so Grizzoli and Delgato wouldn’t see the insides burning.

 

“Ok, well whatever.” Delgato reached up to the remote on his shoulder, and keyed it.  “Officer Delgato to dispatch, we got the perpetrator in custody.”

 

Clawhauser’s voice sounded through the radio a moment later. “Dispatch to Delgato, you got him! Nice work.”

 

“Actually” He said, eyeing the doe and her partner, “Officer Hopps and Wilde were the officers responsible.” 

 

There was a pause, then Clawhauser asked uncertainly, “Hopps and Wilde?”

 

“Yeah… and their consultant, Daniel Coleman.”


	8. Devil’s Arithmetic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter, as well as its brevity. Real life is starting to get in the way of my fun times, so I may be less reliable in updates over the next few months. Apologies in advance if chapters are slower in coming. Regards ~VW~

“So let me get this all straight.”  Chief Bogo huffed, pacing his office as his steps rung out an agitated staccato.  “Acting on information from an informant, to a case you aren’t even assigned to, you decided to investigate the location of a possible savage mammal.  You then proceeded onto the premises, without a warrant, and with the flimsiest example of probable cause I have ever heard of, in the company of a mammal who is currently a suspect in the same case you were investigating.”

 

Judy started to raise a finger, but then thought better of the action.  She instead glanced to her partner, seated beside her, noting his vapid expression.  He could be so infuriatingly calm when getting dressed down, a skill that despite years of practice, she had never actually mastered.  She turned dutifully back to the chief, and resolved to continue weathering the buffalo’s verbal onslaught.

 

Surprisingly, Chief Bogo had stopped speaking, and had instead taken to staring at a large, colorful map of the city, spread across his office wall.  The city wasn’t overly detailed.  A simple thing, it was stretched on a piece of cardstock which lent rigidity to the flimsy paper construct.  Pins had been inserted into the map over the years, indicating particular heinous crimes, which the chief resolved never to forget.  Entire sections of the map had been covered in red and white, sites where violence and crime were more common.  She saw that one such section, a meeting of four streets in city central, were currently occupying the chiefs attention.  She had never learned what had occurred at that particular sight, but she knew from the hushed whispers, and meaningful glances of some of the more senior officers, that it had been bad.

 

“Would you mind telling me where you screwed up in all of this, and why?”  The chief prompted in a quiet, dangerous tone.

Judy cleared her throat. “Sir, we shouldn’t have been where we were.”  Bogo waited patiently.  Judy cleared her throat again, nerves causing her throat muscles to tense. “We weren’t assigned to the case, and we didn’t have permission to resume active police work.”

“That’s one.  Keep going.”

“Uhh, we shouldn’t have brought Daniel.”  Bogo turned to Judy, noticing her use of the vulpine’s first name. “He has a conflict of interest in the case, and any evidence we found last night would be suspect. But sir we…”

 

Bogo cut her off with the wave of his hoof, the digits straight in a slashing gesture.  He then held up two digits. “What else?”

 

Judy wracked her brain, but her exhaustion prevented her from thinking straight.  All she really wanted to do was to slink back to her bed, and cover her face with a pillow.  Eventually, she relented, and shrugged. “I don’t know sir.”

“Wilde?”

 

Nick pursed his lips, and then mirrored Judy. “I thought Judy had it covered.”  The chief snorted, and turned back to look at his two troublesome officers.  They looked terrible.  Hopps was still in a splint, her leg was clearly bothering her from the way she kept grimacing when she moved it.  Wilde was likewise disheveled, and sometime through the events of the evening, one of his stitches had popped.  He would need to go to the hospital again to have it redone.  They were both dirty, tired, and coming off adrenaline highs from the danger they had been in.  He sighed, and rested a hip of the corner of his desk, as he looked the pair in the eye.

 

“You took an unnecessary risk.  You didn’t call in what you have found, and you should have left it to better rested and trained officers to handle the situation.”  Judy bristled, her professional pride stung by the chief’s accusations, but he stopped her from speaking once again. “No Hopps, you need to listen.  You are a tough mammal, especially so for one your size.  But there are limitations we all must face.  You and your partner where injured, going into a potentially dangerous situation along with a civilian.  Things went well enough, but the situation could have gone much worse.  What would have happened if that panther had attacked before Wilde spotted it?  It could have killed you, before you knew it was even there.  Would you have liked to have a civilian death on your hands, Hopps?”   Judy nearly snorted, as the chief described the scenario nearly as perfectly as if he had been there.  Of course, the chief couldn’t have accounted for a wizard’s magic in the story, but the irony wasn’t lost on her.

 

“You failed in your duty to protect.” He said bluntly, though not unkindly.

“Sir, Coleman was fully aware of the risks.”

“And yet, he isn’t trained to handle a crisis situation, is he Hopps?”  He had a point there.

“No… no sir.”

The chief nodded. “You both showed a colossal lapse in judgement.  In the past, you have pushed your luck, and despite the odds, succeeded.  Unfortunately, your success has set a dangerous precedent.   You cannot continued to take the risks you do, because one day, your luck will run out.”  He gestured with a hoof towards the map on the wall. “This city has enough dead heroes.”  Judy’s gaze sunk to the floor, her ears burning in shame.  Nick, likewise, wore a contrite expression, his smile long gone as he considered the situation.  He turned then to look at his partner, a lump forming in his throat. _He’s right._

Bogo nodded again, “I am placing you both on one week of leave, in order for you to recover from your injuries, and to seriously ponder the situation you have put yourselves, and the department in today.”

 

They winced as one, at the unwelcome, though not unexpected news.   “In addition, you will both need to attend remedial training on proper procedure involving a police vehicle.”

 

Nick barked out a laugh, and looked to Judy. She buried her head in her paws, ears falling over her eyes. Bogo turned a glare to the fox, who pantomimed zipping his muzzle shut.  “Now both of you, get out.  And if I hear any more about you two being involved in police work for the next week, I swear I will place you both on crosswalk duty for the next 3 decades!”

 

Chagrined, the fox slipped off the chair he and his partner were sitting in, and turned to help his partner down.  Together, they gave Bogo a crisp salute, and moved through the office door.

 

* * *

 

 

A loud popping noise stirred Jonathan Wolfard from his reverie.  He had been staring at a report, filed that morning, which detailed the background of the panther they had apprehended earlier that morning.  The suspect hadn’t awoken yet, and likely wasn’t talkative in any case.  The predator had been placed in a cell, a long chain bound around its mid-section, and a muzzle placed so as to prevent it from harming anyone.  If the report given to him and his partner by Hopps and Wilde was accurate, the panther had gone totally savage, and it was a miracle neither of them had been injured.   _Correction_ , Wolfard thought to himself, _all three of them_.

 

Jonathan looked up to see his partner staring at a figure sitting in a chair directly across from the receptionist’s desk.  It was an odd angle, with columns and doorways blocking line of sight, but McHorn’s gaze didn’t deviate in the least.  The subject of his scrutiny was an arctic fox, who sat wearing a long brown coat, and a large wide brimmed hat.  The sound had come from the Rhino’s knuckles, which stood strained on one paw, the flesh turning a pale grey.  The fox, though, seemed oblivious to the Rhino’s gaze, and continued waiting for his cohorts.  Following his partner’s gaze, Jonathan noted. “They did catch our perpetrator.”

McHorn shook his head. “I know John.”

“You still think he’s involved?”

“Has to be.  How else do you explain him leading those two to the culprit?”

Wolfard stretched, then let out yawn that seemed to originate somewhere beneath his rib cage.  He hadn’t eaten yet, and he was bone weary from the evening’s activities.  With any luck, the pair would be able to get some rest in another hour, after the last reports from the evening had been filed.

“Perhaps.  But what evidence is there?  We need to go where it points us, not where our gut tells us.” He reprimanded gently.  McHorn snorted again, not disagreeing, but not happy about it either.  The pair stayed that way in silence for a moment more, until McHorn cleared his throat.

 

“I’ve begun notifying the families.”  Wolfard breathed out a heavy sigh.  One of the most difficult jobs on the force, was notifying families that their loved ones had died.  Wolfard had done it of course, as had pretty much every senior police officer on the force.  He never forgot the feeling, the look of dread on their faces.  The stab of guilt he felt, for having to bring them pain.  The quiet awkwardness of being thrust into such an intimate situation, feeling like an outsider to such raw agony.  The worst had been a father and son, killed in a car accident when a drunk driver hadn’t stopped at an intersection.  In one night, a young mammal had gone from being a family mammal, to a widow with a dead child.  He would never forget the sound, somewhere between a scream, and a sob.  A sound that just kept rising and rising, until it fell away, to shocked silence.

“Can I help you with that?”  Concern was written all over Wolfard’s muzzle, as he looked over to his partner.  McHorn may as well have been made from stone.  The rhino shook his head.

“No.  I want to tell them.”  It was a penance, Wolfard knew.  McHorn blamed himself for not being able to defend those animals, and felt responsible to their families.  He would take the time to call, and offer condolences to each and every one before he rested.  It was one of the many things Jonathon Wolfard respected about his partner.  He nodded.

 

The door to Chief Bogo’s office opened, and Nick and Judy were making their way down the stairs to the main floor of the arcade.  Wolfard saw Coleman get up from the waiting area, stretch, and go to meet the pair at the bottom of the stairs.  They exchanged words for a while, Hopps gesturing to her and Nick as she spoke.  Coleman winced, and said something.  Wilde shrugged, then offered the other fox a smile, and a thumbs up.  A sharp crack sounded from beside the timber wolf, his ears dropping flat to his skull on reflex.  The pencil, which McHorn had been holding in one paw, was now snapped cleanly in half.  The remnants clenched in his left paw, quivering in his white knuckled grip.

 

* * *

 

 

_The Fifth Law of Magic_

_A being may not be turned from its nature._

_~This is probably the most complicated of the laws. What exactly does it mean?  Well, for starters, you can’t change another being, physically, mentally, or spiritually through magic.  That means no shape changing, no love potions, nothing can take away a creature’s identity.  It’s a sacred duty, of every practitioner to avoid such things.  It’s morally reprehensible to take that away from a cognitive being.  It also doesn’t work.  For example, let’s say someone annoys you, and you turn them into a frog.  That person will be themselves, but trapped in a frog’s body.  Over time, though, their mind will start to unravel.  They will become the frog, and eventually, every trace of them will be lost forever.  Do that to someone, and you have robbed them of more than their life.  You have taken from them their very essence.  It will be as if they never were.  That is an awesome responsibility kit.  And it will change the practitioner too.  They say that absolute power, corrupts absolutely.  Think about what it means to level that kind of power.  Mess about with another’s nature, and you will lose your own, in the process.~_

 

* * *

 

 

Daniel hurried over to the pair of cops, now descending the stairs from their meeting with chief Bogo.   He could feel the gaze of Officer McHorn boring into him like the bit of a high speed drill.  If his malice could be any more concentrated, Daniel suspected he would have burst into flame.  Still, he didn’t want to give the officer the satisfaction of knowing that he had noticed.  So he continued to ignore him, and met the two at the bottom of the stairs.

 

“Well, how did it go?”

 

Judy shrugged, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her muzzle.  “We’ve been put on paid leave for one week, and forbidden from participating in any more investigations.”

 

Daniel winced. “Sorry about that.”

 

Nick shrugged nonchalantly, and shot Daniel a satisfied smile. “It could have been worse.”  He gave his fellow fox a thumbs up, and then grimaced, ears drooping at a loud snapping sound coming from the direction of Rudolph McHorn.

 

“Man, he has got it in for you doesn’t he?” Nick’s ears slowly returned to their upright position.

 

“It gives us something to talk about.”  Daniel said dismissively.

 

“One of these days you are going to have to tell us what you did to piss him off.”  Nick reached into his pants pocket, and removed a stick of chewing gum.  He offered a piece to his comrades, though both shook their heads in the negative.

 

The trio set off towards the exit.  They made a wretched sight, battered and bruised from the evening’s activities. From all around, various officers looked to Nick, Judy, and their less than reputable accomplice.  Some were openly hostile, shaking their heads in quiet disapproval.   Other’s merely stared curiously, though Judy noted with concern that more looked disapproving.  Unknowingly, they had crossed a line somewhere in working with Coleman, and their fellow officers were letting them know it.  Judy wasn’t quite sure what the repercussions were going to be on this, and she couldn’t really find the energy to care at the moment. She was exhausted, and despite her anger at having been sidelined, she had to admit that the idea of a rest was enticing.

“Well, at least we caught our mammal.”  Judy sighed, her limp more pronounced than it had been since the day she injured it.  Likewise, her arm throbbed with a grinding ache.   _Gonna have to pop by the hospital today and see if I can get a proper cast on this thing._

“Ummmm, about that. That panther isn’t a practitioner.”

 

They stopped, a frustrated groan coming from Nick’s muzzle.  Judy gaped at the wizard, then proceeded to usher them to an outcropping between a trophy case, and a set of columns, supporting the second floor of the arcade.

 

“What do you mean he’s not a practitioner?!” Judy whispered harshly.

 

“When he collapsed on me, I didn’t feel the tell-tale signs of a practitioner. He’s not the summoner.”  Judy heard her teeth creak as she clenched them in frustration.  Nick, on the other hand, froze.  He then carefully removed the gum from his mouth, placed it in its wrapper, and into his pocket.

“So last night was all for nothing?”   The fox said, his voice low and angry.  

“No, we learned something.” Daniel said, ears flicking in annoyance. “We know that the summoner is opening portals to the spirit world.  We also know that savage predators are associated, or at least in this instance they were.  I’ll need to do some studying before I can hazard a guess as to why.”

 

Nick nodded, and then turned to look to Judy.  She shrugged, “Not much we can do know I suppose.  We need to get back to the hospital.  We need to eat, and we need to sleep.”

 

“Ok.  Daniel, do what you got to do. But…” he raised a finger, “we need to be more circumspect in our approach this time. “

 

“Meaning what exactly?”  Daniel replied testily.

 

Meaning Carrots and I put a lot on the line last night. If we don’t toe the line from now on.  We won’t risk our careers without good reason.”

 

Daniel’s visage darkened, his tone icy. “Ok, I’ll let you know what I dig up.” The wizard stalked away, the lights inside precinct one flickering ominously as he left.  They watched him go, then Judy turned to look at Nick, here eyebrows raised.

 

“I was being honest with him.” He said stubbornly. “We did risk a lot last night.”

Judy nodded. “We did.” She glanced back out the window, to where the wizard had disappeared to. _But what has he sacrificed?_ Judy shook her head, clearing it of the troubling thoughts. “Come on slick, you can take me to the hospital.”

 

“Sounds good,” Nick said, forcing a smile on his muzzle.  “And then what?”

“We sleep, and eat leftover pizza” Nick let out a groan that was borderline sexual.  It had been a long, and terrible night.  Despite their efforts, the summoner had eluded them.  Instead of a monster, they had encountered a predator gone savage.  Judy wasn’t yet sure what that development had meant, but it filled were with a sudden, and cold dread.  She felt out of her element, and worse yet, there had been casualties.  Still, they had prevented any more spirits from entering their world, and had earned a night of rest at least.  Time to heal, and time to think.

The pair walked out of precinct 1, and caught a cab to Whitefeather Community.  They settled in for the drive, their eyes closing as exhaustion overwhelmed their aches and pains until it lulled them into a dreamless slumber.  Thus, they failed to notice a small, black,  rodent sized sedan pulled out of the lot beside them. Tailing their cab, silent as a whisper.


	9. Holy Ground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to Lunar_Blue for being my editor.

“Alright Ms. Hopps, breathe in and…” The low whine of an air compressor sounded, as the pneumatic cast set onto Judy’s left arm inflated.  She clenched her teeth, breath caught in her throat despite the Nurse Practitioner’s instructions.  While the procedure didn’t really hurt, it was an uncomfortable sensation.  A few moments later, the cast was set, and she allowed herself to breathe again.  “There it is,” The ram said cheerfully.  “Now, we need to install the cover.  Do you have any color preferences dear?” The Nurse had a high pitched, sing song voice that Judy found immensely irritating. Adding to her growing headache, she had discovered a collection of smaller aches and pains that she hadn’t noticed acquiring during the evening’s activities.  In short, Judy was in no mood, and it took a greater effort of will than she would have believed possible simply to keep from snapping at the cheerful ram.

 

“Whichever.”  She mumbled, ears sagging in fatigue.   The short nap she had on their way to the hospital hadn’t helped her mood.   If anything, it had made her feel even more tired, and she longed for her bed so that she could collapse in peace. 

“How about this lovely blue, darling?”  Judy smiled.  Well, in truth, it was more of a grimace really.  The ram, however, seemed unphased by her glares and set to attaching the high density plastic sheath to her cast with the same cheery disposition he seemed to have about every task.  Judy suspected that, were a gunshot victim to come into the hospital, bleeding all over the place.  The ram would merely comment on how well the patient seemed to be bleeding.  “Plenty of Iron, you must eat well.”  She mumbled to herself.

“Hmm, what was that dear?”  The ram asked, working the snaps secure on the cast’s protective sheath.

“Oh nothing.  Is that it then?”  Judy asked hopefully.

“Just about…aha… there we are.  Give that a try.”   Judy moved her arm experimentally.  The cast held her arm secure, protecting if from any further damage, while also giving her a greater range of movement than the brace, with its built in sling, she had previously worn.  She suspected that it was all imaginary, but she swore she felt the pain lessen in the limb as well.

“That’s much better, thank you.”  She said anemically.  She tried to sound more cheery, but her heart wasn’t in it.  However, if the Nurse had noticed, he didn’t seem to let it show.

“No problem Ms. Hopps.  Now, you take care of that you hear.  You’ll need to make an appointment in 4 weeks or so to have it looked at again.  You have any questions?”  Judy shook her head in the negative. “Alright then.  Just hang out here for a moment for Bridget to bring in your aftercare papers. Then we’ll get you out of here. Have a good day.”  The ram took two steps backwards, and opened the door, smiling at the doe.  He then ducked out the door, humming to himself as he went.

Judy leaned back in the little chair she sat in, and let out a deep and tired sigh.  She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she relaxed.  For the first time in several days, her mind was blank.  There were no pressing engagements.  Not sudden crisis requiring her attention.  She could just sit back and relax. She drifted for a time, not sleeping, but not entirely awake either.  She lost herself in the simple contentment of the still, quiet air, until a knock broke her reverie.   She opened her eyes, and a badger in green scrubs walked into the room, carrying an armful of paperwork.  Nurse Bridget was a thorough mammal.  She sat with Judy, going over the paperwork needed by the ZPD, the aftercare instructions, and other general health care information.  By the time they were finished, Judy’s head felt as if it had been baked in sand. 

“Thank you Officer Hopps.”  She started for the door, and paused. “By the way, your ride asked me to tell you he would be waiting for you in chapel.   Judy frowned,  Nick wasn’t supposed to be done yet, and certainly wouldn’t have had the time to setup a ride, and then wait for her in the chapel.  In point of fact, she realized she had never even heard of Nick stepping foot inside of a church.   _ Maybe it’s one of the guys from ZPD. _ Judy shrugged, and thanked the nurse.  She nodded, and left through the door.  Judy gathered her items and followed suite, getting directions from the receptionist to the hospital’s chapel.

Whitefeather Community Hospital had a small, modest chapel, dedicated to no particular faith.  It was meant as a place of comfort, allowing the mammals visiting the hospital to express their faith however they saw fit.  Offering a variety of services throughout the day, it catered to its supplicants with a subtle grace and dignity.  Over the years, the chapel had seen fear and courage.  Life and death.  Weakness and strength.  It had weathered them all, with the type of quiet contemplation only holy sites seemed able to muster.  Above the door, a simple dedication was written on a placard of polished bronze.  It was a message of welcome, in the name of Lylus, the light in heaven. 

 

The sight conjured images of the Hopps clan, gathered in all of their masses to attend weekly services in Bunny Burrow’s sturdy church.  It wasn’t particularly comfortable.  It had been hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and for sure it had been a bother getting that many mammals to one place at one time.  But she had enjoyed the music, and had been a believer for most of her life.  She grimaced guiltily.  This would be the first time she had entered a church since she had first come to Zootopia all those years ago.  She supposed she hadn’t given faith much thought lately.  It hadn’t really seemed important.  Given the things she had seen over the past few evenings, perhaps she needed to reopen that part of her life, she thought with grim amusement.  She entered the little chapel, which at first glance appeared empty.

“Hello?”   Her voice echoed harshly.  It almost seemed an affront to sully the still silence.  Then, she heard movement, and her eyes were drawn to a small shape standing at the front of the chapel.  He wore a dark charcoal suit, well-tailored and expensive looking.  He was small to be certain, but he stood with a confidence and sense of self-assurance that seemed to project authority.  She started recognizing the little shrew. 

The mammal she knew as Mr. Big smiled up at her, his arms opening as if to embrace the rabbit officer.  Judy took an involuntary step back, dread welled up from her belly.  A lump had formed in her throat, as a fear she had been nurturing over the years had finally confronted her.  Ever since she had called on the illicit services of the powerful crime lord in order to crack the Night Howler case, she had known the time would come when Mr. Big called to settle the account.  Judy had likewise sworn to herself that she would refuse the shrew, an action that would undoubtedly have lethal consequences.  It would seem that the time for that eventually had come.  She strained her hearing, turning her head in order to listen for the polar bears that no doubt accompanied him into the building.  Hearing nothing, she turned and faced Mr. Big.  She approached him, and lowering her cheek to his grasp, kissed each of his cheeks.   _ Might as well try to be as polite as possible. _

“Judy my dear, how have you been?” The shrew said amiably, his bushy eyebrows obscuring his eyes.

“Well enough. Mr. Big. Sir.”

“Mmm.”He hummed to himself, nodding.  “That is good.  Very good.  I apologize for the manner in which I arranged our meeting, but given what I want to discuss with you, I thought it a prudent measure.”  Judy swallowed, her nerves standing on end.

“Oh, and what is it you wanted to discuss?”  She tried smiling at Mr. Big, but her anxiety made it appear a little too wide and manufactured.  She saw him nodding, clearly observing her discomfort.

“Years ago, I helped you with a case.  With this aid, you went on to stop a crisis in the city, winning accolades for yourself, as well as Nicky.”  He raised his palms, almost a pantomime of a priest at the head of the chapel.  “It is time for you to repay my generosity, with a favor of your own.”  And there it was.  Judy felt the bottom drop out of her stomach, and the prospect of what was about to happen.  She doubted very strongly that he would have her killed right here.  Likely, it would come later, appearing to be an accident, something unexpected.  She hoped that it wouldn’t come back to harm anyone else.  Mob hits tended to be more accurate in their application than most murders, though when push came to shove, they didn’t discriminate. 

“Sir, with all due respect… I won’t do anything illegal.”  Silence.  Mr. Big stood, nodding as he processed her words.  Then he sighed, and turned slightly to the little wooden altar at the front of the chapel. 

“You know, you and I are not terribly different.”  Judy noticed a sudden wariness in the shrew’s demeanor, as if he was bearing some terrible weight on his shoulders.  “Each of our lives are governed by principles.  For you, it is the law, and the justice you suppose it represents.”  He turned back to her then, and looked her in the eyes.  His eyes were…sad?  “My life is governed by respect.  Respect for the initiative of another mammal, to carve out a life for himself and his family in a harsh reality. Would you say that your actions have shown me and my family respect?”

Judy swallowed, unsettled by the shrew’s calm demeanor.  She supposed that it took ice in one’s blood to become the head of a crime family.  “I do, sir.  But I cannot give you what you ask.  I’m… sorry. I have to hold to the principles that give my life meaning.”  He nodded again.

 

“And that is why I cannot ask you to do anything illegal.”  It was a statement, not a question.  Judy turned her head quizzically, nose twitching.

 

“Judy, I know what kind of mammal you are.  It is not coincidence I have waited this long to contact you, despite you being friends with my daughter.  I couldn’t disrespect your principals.”  The shrew sat then, back resting against the alter. “I don’t want you to do anything illegal.  I want you to protect my daughter.”

 

* * *

 

 

~ _ Why do I glow when I use magic?  All practitioners do.  There’s sort of a disagreement as to why.  It’s called foxfire, and yes, even when it’s not a fox.  Beats me as to why?  I suppose bunny fire just doesn’t have the same ring to it does it?  As to the why, I’ll tell you what my teacher told me.  Magic is the energy of life and the force of creation.  When we cast a spell, we have to gather that energy into us.  We hold it there with our will and use our minds to give it shape and direction.  Our bodies, however, are really bad reservoirs for the power, so a lot of it escapes.  I’ve heard stories that Furlin could cast spells without losing any of the power.  I guess then the shinier the practitioner, the more inefficient they are.  Also, gathering more power results in a brighter glow.  Now back to it if you please, and this time, try to do it without blinding me eh?  I forgot to bring my sunglasses today.~ _

 

* * *

 

 

Daniel stalked up the stairs to his apartment, his teeth clenched in frustrated anger.  He refrained from an outburst though, keeping his head as he had all the way back from Precinct 1.  He took off his hat and coat, leaving them on an old, worn coat rack sitting at the top of the stairs.  He leaned his staff against a wall and shuffled to his coach.  Easing into it, he sighed, and placed his muzzle in his paws.  He ran his paws through the fur of his muzzle, then balled them into fists.  He snarled.   “Damnit.” 

“Rough night?”  Eva sat on the bowl of a wide brimmed glass, commonly used to hold margaritas.  There was some kind of amber liquid inside. 

Daniel groaned, then looked up to the familiar.  “Any more of that by chance.”  The parrot gestured to a bottle of cheap scotch, and Daniel took a pull from the bottle.  It was peaty, and harsh, but given the evening the wizard had just completed, it was fitting.  Daniel coughed, and slouched back into the chair. 

“So what happened?” Daniel told her, in short terse sentences, how they had closed the portal, but failed to apprehend the summoner.  He took another pull of the scotch, then checked the time.  7:30 AM, a new personal record.

“That means you’re dealing with a warlock.”  Eva noted, before she dipped a beak in her own drink.  The beverage contained more liquid than the small avian should have been able to hold, but that hadn’t stopped her from taking a tremendous gulp.  Daniel shook his head, wondering where she managed to fit it all.

“Yeah.”

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“Contact the council, I suppose.”

“Ah.” Eva said, her matronly voice laced with concern. “Naturally.” Daniel smirked at that.  While technically, she wasn’t a violation of the Laws, she definitely toed the line.  Given how uncomfortable the council was with the creation of familiars, Eva was never comfortable when the council became involved with Daniel or his work.  He sat for a few more moments, collecting his wits, and imbibing some more liquid courage, before he rose to gather what he needed.  Truth be told, Daniel was never really that comfortable when around other wizards.  Most he had encountered had been self-centered, egotistical, old codgers who seemed a little too eager to sentence younger practitioners for violations of the Laws they may or may not even know about.  A lack of knowledge of the Laws was an insufficient defense.  There were only a few occasions where clemency was granted and didn’t Daniel know it.  He grimaced, running his paws subconsciously over the scars running along his chest.  They weren’t visible through the fur, but they still felt like they were.  He shook his head, and gathered the necessary foci.

Eva watched, as Daniel folded the paper.  It was a meditative exercise, with Daniel taking careful breaths as he set to creasing the lines necessary for the desired shape.  He cursed, as he failed to fold a line carefully enough, ruining the whole piece.  He threw the balled up piece of paper into an overflowing waste basket in the corner besides his desk.  He started again, and again, once that piece hadn’t quite been correct.  He sighed in frustration, letting his mind go blank as he did so.  He let go of his fatigue, of his fear, and of his stung pride.  He let go of his disappointment, and his resentment.  Last of all, he let go of the loneliness, he had tried to suppress.  When he had finished, a small simulacra of a robed figure stood on his desk.  The sharp point sticking out of the hood looked more like a beak than a muzzle, but the foci should work as intended.  Gathering his power, Daniel placed a paw pad over the little paper doll, and chanted three words. “Spatium, Ipsa, Loquitur.” Light gathered along his arms, spreading to his entire body, a soft blue-white radiance.  The light pulsed in rhythm to his chanting, gathering in strength until his whole body felt like a plucked guitar string. He continued that chant for nearly an hour, as he waited for the receiver to answer his sending.  As he finally felt the power leaving him, the light dimmed.  His throat felt dry and scratchy and he rubbed his paws over his throat to ease the discomfort.

“Ah. Wizard Coleman, I apologize for keeping you waiting.”  The voice was feminine, with a musical lilt that gave it an exotic quality.  Daniel scowled down at the simulacrum, which looked up to him with its blank, paper face.

“Honored Archmage,” Daniel bowed slightly to the paper doll, feeling foolish as he did so, “I have encountered a problem worthy of the council’s attention.”

“Indeed?” The doll cocked its head, staring at the vulpine.  Daniel gritted his teeth.  He hated using the things, but it was one of the only means he had to communicate with the wizards of the council.  Most eschewed technology altogether, something to do with their concentrated power.  Daniel’s teacher had told him a wizard’s power grew as they aged.  Condensing and strengthening as time progressed.  As their power grew, technology became more and more unreliable, and so the more powerful wizards had to rely on other means of communication.  He also knew that wizards could respond to a sending nearly instantly, and he got the impression that the Archmage had kept him waiting for longer than was strictly necessary in order to reinforce her place in the wizarding hierarchy.   _ Damn politics _

“Yes.  Over the past several nights, predatory spirits have been crossing over to our plane all over Zootopia.  Through my investigations, I have ruled out the possibility of this being a natural phenomenon.” The Archmage paused, listening as Daniel continued. “Moreover, last evening I encountered a mammal that had been driven savage.  I have my suspicions that a mammal was subjected to forces from the spirit world.”

“You suspect a violation of the laws has occurred?”

Daniel winced, realizing he needed to handle this situation carefully.  If a violation was suspect, the Archmage would likely send a warden to Zootopia. Wardens were bad news, in a major way.  Seeking to end the violation of the laws in whatever means necessary, they would be hell on wheels until they managed to find the source of the violation.  Given Daniel’s questionable activities over the past few days, involving mortal authorities in his investigation, he doubted things would end well for him.

“Unknown.  I haven’t seen anything yet that makes me suspect a violation of the laws has occurred.”

“Then why are you wasting my time with this update?”  The Archmage’s voice was a whip crack, the rebuke causing Daniel’s ears to droop.

“With all due respect, mammals are dying from these attacks.  I thought you might be interested in that.”  Daniel felt his hackles raising, as an icy heat crept into his voice.  The doll raised its paw to stop the vulpine.

“Our purpose isn’t to protect mortals from the supernatural.  It is to prevent the abuse of magic, and to seek practitioners in order to protect them.  There are not enough of us in this world to stop every attack by a spiritual predator.” Daniel glared at the little doll, anger almost boiling over into inadvisable action.  “Moreover, it isn’t your task to seek such things.  You are a collector.  Have you any new recruits to bring before the council?”  Daniel absently clawed the bottom of his desk, adding a deep furrow, to the collection of deep furrows along the inset drawers.  “Ah, I suspected not.  Wizard Coleman, I remind you of your duty to the council.  Leave the violators of the laws to the wardens, and stop trying to be a hero.  Doing otherwise could endanger yourself or others.  Do you understand?”

“Yes.” He said through clenched teeth.

“Excellent.  What a refreshing conversation this has been Wizard Coleman.  I trust you will have a pleasant remainder of the day.”  The simulacrum bowed, which Daniel returned woodenly.  “Vale.”  The little doll collapsed on his desk, going suddenly still.  Daniel let out a snarl, and began rending the little figure, tearing it into fine strips.  These he balled up, and threw it into the wastebasket with the others.  Then, he stalked over to the bottle of scotch, upended it, and took a long draft.  Eva looked up to him, then to her own, empty glass.

“Pretty sure there’s some absinthe in the kitchen.”

“Fuck this stupid shit.”

“I’ll get the absinthe.” 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Judy’s face screwed up in confusion, her thoughts slowly coalescing as she contemplated what Mr. Big had said. “Sir?”

Nodded, hands shaking as he moved it to his head fur.  “I want you to protect my Fru Fru.  You are her friend, and she trusts you.  You can clearly see that I do not have any of my associates with me.  I need someone I can trust to perform this duty.”

“Just so I understand.  You trust me because I won’t do anything illegal?”

“Precisely.  I trust my associates, because they respect me.  But when I am gone, what will they have to respect.  You on the other hand, won’t be bought;  You will do what is right.”

Judy swallowed, “Why are you bringing this up to me.”  Her eyes narrowed, “Is something going on.”

Mr. Big made a humming sound, “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.  There’s been a competitor on the rise in Tundra Town.  I suspect I will be removed within a few weeks.”  Judy gaped, her mouth suddenly very dry. “Someone’s… trying to kill you?”

Mr. Big laughed ruefully, “Like I said, nothing to worry about.”

“Mr. Big, excuse me, but the hell this isn’t something for me to worry about.  The ZPD…”

“Has been compromised for years now.”

“I…what?”

“Oh Judy, sweet child.  I would have thought you would have become aware by now.  Nicky at least should have been able to tell you.”  A sudden twinge of betrayal coursed through her body.  _ Nick knew? _  “Even if they would be willing to help me, there is no guarantee an accident wouldn’t befall Fru Fru and little Judy.” 

Judy felt ice in her bowels, her ears dropping behind her back.  Mr. Big, had just casually inferred that a police officer of the ZPD would arrange the murder of an innocent child.

“No One…” She swallowed again, “No one on the ZPD would…”  She found she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Maybe not, but you can see where I wouldn’t be willing to take any risks.”  He sighed, then, looking older than he ever had to the doe. “I know my work will fail.  I always knew it would.  Fru Fru and Judy aren’t involved with the underworld.  They never have been, and they never will be.  I made certain of that years ago.  They are my only legacy, and my only real concern.  I ask you again, will you protect them.”  A child, helpless, in the dark.  It seemed that there were monsters a plenty in Zootopia of late. 

Judy nodded. “Of course I will protect them.”

Mr. Big smiled wanly, “Good.  Thank you my dear.  I will arrange for Fru Fru to meet you at your apartment with Judy in one hour.”

“What about Fru Fru’s husband?”

Mr. Big stood, dusting himself off. “Tony was killed yesterday afternoon.” 

“Oh… my god!”  Judy let out a sob.  “Oh Fru Fru.”

Mr. Big nodded again, “May He be with you my child.”  He gestured up to her then, and she lowered her muzzle for another pair of kisses.  “Take my blessing with you, and go.  Protect my family.” After a pause he said.  “ And thank you.”

 

Judy smiled sadly, and wiped a tear from her eye.    “Goodbye Mr. Big.”

 

“Lorenzo”

 

“I’m sorry.”

The shrew smiled, “Lorenzo is my name.” He waved and turned once more to face the altar.  Judy then left, seeking out Nick, so she could work out some of her confused emotions.  She had questions for the fox, as well as some of her own concerns to share.  She turned down a hallway heading towards the waiting room, where she could meet her partner. Standing in the doorway beside the chapel, a lithe shadow detached itself from a hidden alcove. The shadow made its way into the chapel and sat on one of the pews, it's aged wood creaking from his mass.

“Thank you for waiting.”  Lorenzo said, turning to face the new comer.

“Of course,” said a lion, dressed in a rich, double breasted suit. “I thought it only proper to give you the consideration.” Respect meant so much in the underworld.  Mr. Big nodded, and looked up to the lion’s eyes. They were the color of old dollar bills, and despite the calm he saw in them, there was also a cold savagery, common throughout the denizens of the underworld. 

“John Prince. I take it Koslov is dead?”

“This morning.  Though you should know, I’ve changed the name.  Given my recent promotion, I thought the name King fitting.”

The shrew nodded, “John King then.”  The lion smiled.


	10. Homeward Bound

 

The news anchor sat behind his desk, a look of solemnity on his muzzle.  Images of an industrial building played behind him, then shifted to rows and rows of body bags, being loaded into the backs of ambulances.  “Last evening, there was an incident at the Mewling Brother’s factory in Savannah Central that resulted in the deaths of 16 mammals.” The moose news anchor shifted in his seat, antlers swaying so they rested parallel to his shoulders, while the image beside him shifted to that of Precinct 1. “ The ZPD hasn’t released the names of the victims, but in a statement to the press, Police Chief Bogo of Precinct One confirmed that the perpetrator of the crime is in custody, and reaffirmed the commitment of the ZPD to keeping the mammals of Zootopia safe.  ZNN will get the whole story once the investigation has concluded...” Bogo turned the television off, and turned to appraise the officers in his office.  They were both tired, emotionally drained, and angry.   As far as cases were concerned, this was turning out to be a bad one.  But it was their duty to see it through, and if he knew anything, it was the tenacity of his senior officers.  The pair waited patiently for their chief to speak, ready to accept whatever criticism he had to offer.  “So, where are we on this case?”

Jonathon Wolfard cleared his throat, then gestured to allow his partner to answer. 

“We’ve got the suspect, but no idea why he is the way he is.”  The Rhino tossed his head. 

“Nothing from the lab yet,” Wolfard added, his throat sticky from the copious amount of coffee he had been guzzling since the previous evening.  It had been a long day.   He had barely gotten 8 hours of sleep over the past 72, and the methods he had been utilizing to stay awake were really starting to get to him. 

“Naturally.” Bogo muttered, and turned his attention to the papers on his desk. “We have another case of a savage predator and little explanation. Has anything turned up at the crime scene?” 

McHorn’s frown deepened, and he shook his head in the negative.  They were no closer to solving this mystery then they had been two days ago.   There was only one thing they knew for sure. “It isn’t Night Howler serum.” 

Bogo nodded, “It seems we’re clueless here.”  His nose flared, and he looked up from the papers, the personal files of each of the victims.  “Go home.”

Wolfard started, and turned to see the puzzled expression on his partner’s muzzle.

“You heard me.  You two need to sleep. Take a day to recover yourselves, the report back to me.  In the meantime, Delgado and Fangmeyer will take over the investigation.  I will see to it that you are informed if anything major comes up during your absence. 

“Sir, with all due respect…” McHorn began.

“Save it,” Bogo said, cutting him off. “I need you two sharp for this and you’ve been running all over the city for three days.  Get some sleep, see your families, and report back.”

It looked as if McHorn was going to argue, but one look to his partner silenced his complaints.  Slowly, Wolfard shook his head back and forth at the Rhino.  McHorn sighed, then nodded.  The pair stood then, and saluted the Chief, before turning on their heels and striding out the door. 

Once they were gone, Bogo allowed himself to slouch into his chair.  A chief had a duty to his mammals.  He could not afford the luxury of showing fatigue in front of his officers.  Now that he had a moment alone, however, he allowed himself the courtesy of an exhausted yawn.  In truth, he had barely managed 6 hours himself over the past three days, and in time, he knew he would have to pay the piper.  For now though, he kept himself going through grim determination if nothing else.  He turned to look at his map.  The spot in the middle standing out to him, even as it blended in with the others.  For now, he had work to do.

Once more in their shared office space, Officer’s McHorn and Wolfard were collecting their gear, and preparing to head home for the afternoon.   Wolfard smiled to himself, imagining his wife’s pleased expression at his returning home from work earlier than expected for a change.  Furthermore, he would be able to collect his pups from school in the police cruiser.  They always loved when he did that.  Adding to the fact that he was going to have an unexpected day off, and it was shaping up to be a day of pleasant surprises.  If it weren’t for the case overshadowing everything, it would almost be what he would have considered a very pleasant day.  Finishing up, he headed to drop off a few more papers for Clawhauser to sort through, his partner besides him. “Here’s the report from last night’s investigation.” He said, handing over the papers to the portly cheetah.

 

“Try not to get sprinkles all over them this time.” McHorn gave the cheetah one of his rare smiles.  It seemed Wolfard wasn’t the only one looking forward to getting some rest.

The cheetah made a pouting face, then handed a sealed manila envelope to Wolfard.  “This came for you while you were meeting with the chief.”  He scowled at McHorn, who stood chuckling, with his various accoutrements tucked under one paw.

 

“Thanks Benjamin.”  The pair started for the door, with the timber wolf awkwardly shuffling his things in order to open the envelope.  They started out the door, into the bright afternoon sun, when Wolfard suddenly froze, his eyes going wide in shock. He stood there for a few seconds, lanky form blocking the door.  

“What is it?”   McHorn asked, immediately copping to his partner’s distress.  

Wolfard let out a low snarl and handed the contents of the envelope over to the Rhino.  McHorn followed suite a moment later. “That son of a bitch!” The pair, moved back through the door, all thoughts of a quiet day off evaporating. They stalked over to Clawhauser, who had shrunk down a little behind his desk upon seeing the two’s expressions.

“Who brought these in?”   Wolfard demanded, his hackles raised.

“A courier, why what’s wrong?”  Benjamin’s voice was flat, containing more than a little apprehension.  McHorn slid the contents of the envelope over wordlessly, a snarl working its way out of his muzzle.  Clawhauser looked down to see what had gotten the pair of typically composed officer’s to lose their cool.   The picture wasn’t particularly clear.  Whoever had taken it had done so in a hurry, the image blurry around the edges.   In the picture’s center, however, was the unmistakable form of Daniel Coleman, taken from behind.  Something hidden in front of his body was spewing out a gout of flame, coating the wooden wall of a dilapidated warehouse in a sheet of red hot fire.  Twisted bodies, lay somewhere in the background, their shapes consumed in roaring flame.  The species of the figures was impossible to distinguish, but there mammaloid shapes were unmistakable. 

“Benjamin,” Wolfard said, his voice positively arctic. “Please get on the phone with the D.A. and get me a warrant for this bastard.” 

* * *

 

 

Judy watched Nick with a sidelong glance as they headed for their apartment.  He sat aloof, as was his way in such situations, but there was a scowling paling at the edges of his muzzle.  Furthermore, his ears were stuck at rigid attention, making his frustration patently obvious to those who knew him.  Judy had told him about her meeting with Big, but had refrained from voicing her concerns over the implications he had made regarding the ZPD.  That conversation would come once they had a moment alone.  In the meantime, they sat in silence, quietly contemplating how complicated life had gotten in the past few days.  Judy let out a soft groan, as she considered what exactly she would do in the coming week.  She couldn’t really imagine what the little shrew was going through, and felt woefully inadequate to the task.   Furthermore, the situation at work had become infinitely more complicated with the realization that the supernatural world existed.  She felt a pang of regret then, which she felt ashamed to admit.  She wished, deep down, that she had taken Daniel’s offer to simply back out of the situation where it stood.  Of course, Judy wasn’t delusional.  She knew should have made her decision even given what she now knew.  Still, she was beginning to appreciate that life would never be simple for her or Nick again, and part of her mourned the passing of that phase of her life. 

The cab pulled over to the front of their apartment building, and the cabby tipped his hat to the officers.  Apparently Mr. Big had paid for their transport quite handsomely, and the badger in his flat cap and cheerful expression, had earned a significant bonus off the books.  The cab left them then, and they moved up into their apartment, equipment in bags slung over their shoulders.

Nick groaned as he threw his weight into their apartment door. It gave way from his onslaught slowly as the swollen wood gripped the floor of their apartment with a perverse glee.  The door opened, he stepped back, and allowed Judy to move through the door, her equipment swaying at her uneven gait.  The doe had stubbornly refused to continue using the crutch, and so she had to continue to limp everywhere like a geriatric.  She dropped her pile of equipment on the floor and moved to the couch, dropping into it with a sigh of satisfaction.  Nick likewise entered their apartment, and shut the door, all the while refraining from scratching the newly applied stitches between his ears.  He moved over to join Judy, slipping his tired body into the plush cushions and contributed a sigh of his own.  They sat there for a time. Neither making any sound.  The soft ticking of a clock sounded in their hallway, as if measuring out the seconds before the discussion would commence.

“I’m sorry.” Judy began, without opening her eyes. 

“It’s fine.” Was Nick’s response.

“I didn’t ask you.” She added.

“Didn’t need to.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Silence again, the calm before the storm.

“Nick.”

“Yeah.”

“Are there dirty cops in the ZPD?”

Nick sighed, and turned to look at the doe.  Her eyes were open, questioning.  He didn’t see any of the judgment he had anticipated, but he did see hurt.  It ate at his heart, seeing her look at him like that.  Long ago though, he had made a promise to the doe.  No lies.  No deception.  In all things, honesty.  Today, that promise would cost him.  “Yes.” Pain, flared in her expression then.  And betrayal.   _ Owe. _

“Why didn’t you tell me?”  Her question was quiet, but there was emotion behind it.  And no small amount of anger as well. 

“I didn’t want to…”

“You didn’t want to tell ME?” She interrupted, pain ripped from her body, giving her words volume and pitch. Hot, angry tears welled in those purple eyes, and hung there, clinging to the fur around her eyes.

“I didn’t want to know.” He correct, emotion embellishing his own words.  He kept his face schooled, but the sight of his partner, and her look of betrayal was almost more than he could stand.

She blinked, the tears dropping to the couch. She breathe, and in a quiet voice said, “Explain please.”

He had to look away then, the raw emotion causing his throat to bunch up and his eyes to water. “I knew that Mr. Big, and many others had contacts in the ZPD.   I never learned more than that and I never wanted to.”

“Why?” It came out as a shout, but neutered of any real heat.  There was only pain.

“Because.” Nick swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Because I wanted to believe as you believed.  I wanted to think better of the ZPD than what my instincts told me.  I thought that if I didn’t look for it… it wouldn’t matter.  It never stopped us from making the world a better place, so why worry about it?” Judy shook her head, and stood, a grimace playing across her muzzle.  She paced, and turned to look her partner in the face.  Disappointment was evident, as well as a modicum of suspicion.  _ Double Owe _

“Nick… I need to know right now. Have you been involved with anything?” Hot anger blazed from Nick’s belly then, as he considered what she had just implied.  His face looked shocked, then his eyebrows shot into an angry glare.

“Excuse me, but what…” his hands flew up into an angry shrug. “Are you implying here?”

“Please Nick, just tell me.”

“Unbelievable… No Judy. This fox, has not, been up to illegal activity.” His heart ached, as he spit out the bitter words. 

“Nick, I am sorry.  I am hurt, and confused, and overwhelmed.”  She shook her head, tears fully coming from her eyes. “I need you to tell me what is going on.”

“So your first instinct is to accuse ME?” 

The hurt in his expression ripped at her heart.   _ Why had she assumed the worst of her partner? _ The anger welled up her own heart as well. “No Nick, my first instinct was to TRUST you.  Which you then abused by not telling me there are crooked officers working with us.”

He jumped up, his hackles raised as he stood.  He glared at her, and her at him, while the clock ticked softly in the background.  But then Nick thought about things from her perspective.  Her implications still hurt, as well as the implications of her accusation.  Still, he acknowledged that she probably had a reason to be upset.   _ Damnit, I should have told her. _  Then, he took a breath, and smoothed his fur. “Judy, I am sorry.  I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you. I made a mistake, and I am sorry for hurting you.”

Judy nodded, and also took a calming breath.  She realized that perhaps Nick did have honest intentions in this, but it still hurt that he hadn’t told her. “I know.  I trust you.  I’m also sorry for accusing you.  I know you’re not involved with that anymore. I was just shocked, and hurt.”

Nick’s muzzle drooped at that, as if her words were heavy chains dragging it to the floor. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Judy.  I just…wanted to leave that world behind.”

She nodded. “I’m still hurt.  But I think I understand. I need time on this, Ok?”

“Ok.  Ditto.”

“Ditto?” Judy laughed, shaking her head. Nick shrugged, eyes still on the floor. “I love you, Nick.”

“I love you too.”

They stood that way a moment, till Judy worked her way over to the vulpine, and placed the top of her head into his stomach.  She felt his arms wrap around her then in a tight embrace.  He shook a little, as the intensity of their argument worked its way through him.  Years ago, Judy had asked her mother how it was she and Stu had managed to stay so happy together.  The advice she had been given, know how to fight, had taken Judy by surprise.  “Disagreements, and anger are part of every relationship Bon Bon.” She had said. “The trick is to learn how to fight, without trying to hurt the other person.  It’s about listening to each other, and the telling them why you are upset.  It’s not a competition, or to prove who is right.  It’s a form of communication.  If you can make it a mutual effort, and speak truthfully to each other, you can make it through anything.”  Bonnie Hopps, was a wise mammal indeed.

“We need to get ready for Fru Fru and little J.” Nick said, wiping the remains of tears from his eyes.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll get our stuff put away, if you want to start on the spare bedroom.”

“Ok Nick.”

* * *

 

 

_ The Power of a Threshold _

_ ~I want you to imagine a circle of light.  At the circle’s center, imagine an emotion.  It can be anything you want. Fear, hope, love, whatever.  Now imagine, as that emotion becomes more intense, the light brightens, solidifying into a tangible, potent force.  Every emotion has real power in this world.  They give us strength, propelling us to succeed when times are difficult.  They give us purpose, and provide the necessary justification for the actions we take in our lives.  In the case of magic, emotion is energy.  It can be gathered, and used in a spell, or it can lie dormant, where it takes on a power and purpose all its own.  Even mortals can feel its power.  Families are a tremendous source of this emotion, with layer about layer building atop each other, until it creates a veritable fortress of energy.  Beings from the spirit world, and other supernatural entities cannot cross this field of energy.  This field is called a threshold.  Every building has one, though public spaces have a very weak one.  The greatest thresholds are those found in private residences.  Take a bunnies’ burrow.  Generations of family, living together, can pile up so much energy that nothing short of a god could smash it down.   This applies to us wizards.  We’re mortals, sure, but we have power as well.  Cross into a threshold uninvited, and you’ll leave most of your power at the door. ~ _

 

* * *

 

Daniel cursed, as his drink fell to the ground, spilling the green tinted liquid to the floor.  Some damn fool has pounding on his door, and he would have to tell them off for making him spill his drink, provided he could remember where he left the door.  For the previous few hours, Daniel had gotten himself well, and truly plastered.  Eva, for her part, had spent the time singing sea chanties with such colorful lyrics, he was glad he didn’t have any young children as neighbors. 

“Coleman, this is the ZPD.  We have a warrant for your arrest.”  The low basso voice growled angrily. 

There was something Daniel realized he needed to do.   He wasn’t quite sure what, but it was pretty important.

“…and that’s how I get my tail!”  Eva crooned, balanced precariously on the edge of her glass.  She bobbed in an avian way, in time with the rhythm, which further prevented the wizard from coherent thought.

“Coleman, open this door, or we'll kick it in!” 

“Might make the damn thing easier to open,” Daniel slurred.  The door.  The wards.  “Oh balls.”

The wizard shuffled over to the door, making to grab his staff from the wall he had it leaned against.  He missed, almost falling down the stairs in his haste.  His vision swam, as the room span merrily about him.  He scowled at the staff. “Hold still.” He admonished, and made to grab it once more.  He heard the mammals on the other side of the door, muttering to themselves.

“Kick it down.”

“Shit.  I’m coming!” He finally managed to grab the staff, and attempted to gather his will.  He needed to disable the wards on his door, or else the force of the ZPD’s entry would blast them into paste.   He leapt down the stairs, taking them three at a time and nearly face planted into the door despite himself.  He thrust the end of the staff onto the door, managing the small incantation to bring down the wards right as a rhino sized foot smashed through the door and flung him up the stairs. Stars danced in his vision then, and he realized he had dropped the staff somewhere during his little flight.  Then he felt a heavy pressure and another blow has he was thrown bodily onto the stairs leading up into his apartment.  “Oof.” The stairs cut into his muzzle and chest, as the unrelenting pressure jerked his paws behind his back and secured them with paw cuffs. A mammal was reading him his rights, but he couldn’t quite make out what was being said.  Subconsciously, he tried to rise and his vision, exploded into stars once again.

“He’s resisting,” the familiar voice of Rudolph McHorn said, as Daniel’s head met stair once again.  Daniel did not try to rise again.  “I heard another voice, check the apartment.”

Daniel felt a presence shuffle past him, moving up into the apartment.  A moment later, a voice called back. “Just a parrot.  Looks drunk too.”

“We can add pet abuse to the list of charges,” McHorn added cheerily.  He lifted the fox up onto his feet, and whispered. “Finally getting what’s coming to you Coleman.” Before suckering punching the fox in the stomach. 

Pain flared in Daniel’s stomach and he began to noisily throw up.  Daniel felt the pressure holding him give way and he fell into the puddle of his own sick.  He groaned, once more not certain what was going on.   A moment later, a final blow caused darkness to claim him, mercifully.

“Rudolph!” Wolfard shouted, leaping down the stairs to restrain his partner.  The rhino had kicked the vulpine, causing his head to snap violently into the stairwell, knocking him unconscious.  Wolfard grabbed the rhino’s arm, who turned to look down at his partner, rage evident in the cold flinty glint in his eyes.  “He’s down.  He’s not a threat.”

Reason came back to the Rhino then, and he snorted, looking marginally contrite. Then he looked down to the fox, disgust evident on his features.  “Let’s get this bastard back into a cell and behind glass where he belongs.”

Wolfard nodded, but remained tense.  The pair lifted up the fox and carried him slumped between them, trying to keep the mess to a minimum.  The fox’s neighbors peeked out the doors as they hurried him back to their cruiser, shutting the doors as the cops approached.  Securing the vulpine in the back of their cruiser, they made their way back to precinct one, as a feline gaze followed their progress down the road from behind a telephoto lens. 


	11. Chapter 11: Urban Jungle

 

* * *

 

Preparation

_~Wizards are capable of truly amazing feats.  I have seen a wizard stop a moving car with no more than a gesture.  I have seen wizard’s move incredible distances in a very short time.  But for all their vaunted wisdom and power, they have colossal weaknesses.  Namely, everything we do takes time and preparation.  It’s really damned hard to conjure at a moment’s notice for example, and if you rush magic, your results may vary.  Rush yourself too much, and you may accidentally create an effect you couldn’t have foreseen.  Likewise, if you prepare for the wrong thing, you might find yourself without the tools you needed to survive.  More than one wizard has met their end, being torn limb from limb by some eldritch horror because of a spelling error.  The point is, take your time else you might end up with more trouble than you bargained for.~_

 

* * *

 

 

“Damnit Rudolph, did you have to hit him so hard?”

 

“He resisted arrest.”

 

Awareness returned with all the welcoming clarity of a root canal.  A deep throbbing ache, that seemed to come from everywhere at once, caused Daniel’s eyes to pulse in time with his heartbeat.  The pain rose in waves, peaking at the height of each beat.   He was dizzy, and felt his head resting on something soft, while a gentle hand held his wrist up and away from his chest.  He tried to open his eyes, but shut them immediately at the stabbing pain from the lights above him.  He tried instead to raise his head, but felt weak as a new born kit, and soon gave up the effort.

 

“He’s coming to.” The hand gently placed Daniel’s hand back down, then began prodding his skull, fingers searching for injuries.  Daniel involuntarily let out a soft whimper, and the hands paused in their search.  “Damnit, he might have a concussion.”

 

“Does this mean he needs to go to the hospital?”  A tired, male voice said. 

 

“Probably should to be safe.”

 

“Does he NEED to?”  McHorn said, snorting in derision.

 

The fingers removed themselves from Daniel’s head.   After a pause, the mammal checking Daniel said, “I don’t know. I can’t see any injuries on his head.  He was clearly drinking so this could just be a combination of being drunk off his tail and having his bells rung when you arrested him.”

 

“He’s fine then. We’ll let him sobbed up in here with the other one, and question him once he’s awake.”

 

“In the meantime, Wolfard, McHorn, the chief told me that you guys were supposed to go home.”

 

“Fangmeyer, we had…”

 

“And you did.  He’s here. He’s not going anywhere. Go home.   Get some sleep.  Get all prettied up and then you can interrogate him all you want.  Unless you DID give him a concussion.”  Fangmeyer said accusatorially.”      

 

McHorn snorted, but otherwise didn’t respond.

 

“Alright partner, let’s go.  Thanks for checking him out Fangmeyer.”

 

“Yeah no worries.”

 

The voices continued talking as they headed away from Daniel and he slowly began to open his eyes.  The pain returned, but he managed to keep his eyes open just enough so that he began to adjust. He was back in holding, though there was a low sound reverberating through the room he couldn’t quite place.  He groaned, as he began taking stock of his various aches and pains with a sweep of his own paws.  He felt the worse where he had been sucker punched in the stomach, the stabbing, burning pain almost causing the fox to double over.  He also felt a spreading bruise along his back and sides from the kick.  He also noted, as he ran his tongue along his teeth that sometime in the recent past he had managed to chip a tooth.  The canine, flattened along the top, Daniel mouth was filled with a coppery and sickly sweet taste.  Altogether, he felt terrible, beaten and empty. He settled himself down on the bed in his cell, its concrete form reassuringly steady, and stretched out.  He tried to make himself comfortable as best he could, favoring his left side, and closed his eyes.  The buzzing sound continued, and caused his head to ache.  He heard movement then, low and quiet, but still perceptible. “You mind keeping it down?”  Daniel said in a gravelly voice.  His throat hurt, and felt like he had spent the afternoon gargling razor blades.  The sound deepened to a barely perceptible growl.    

Daniel turned to look at the mammal in the cell beside him and froze.  Perched less than five feet away was the panther he had helped apprehend earlier that morning.  It eyed him with a feral maliciousness, its golden eyes flaked with rusty red.  The panther let out a growl, and bared its teeth at the wizard.  “Ah, nice to have some company.”  Daniel closed his eyes.  The low sound continued, then Daniel leapt up at a loud crashing sound, as the panther leapt at him, colliding with the translucent, thick plastic wall separating them.  Daniel raised a paw to his chest, his breathing heavy from the sudden start.  Its eyes once again met his, and a new sound echoed through the chamber.  It sounded a little like laughter, though deeper, and filled with less wholesome emotions.  Daniel shook his head, and looked deep into the panther before him, the eyes never leaving his. He stood that way for a thoughtless minute, realizing that he had stared to long.  He braced himself for the soul gaze he knew he had unwittingly triggered.

Nothing happened.  Startled, Daniel looked away, and turned back, staring the panther in the eyes.  One minute passed.  Then another.  Once again, there was nothing.  “What are you?”  Daniel muttered, and once again, that hissing laughter echoed through the chamber.  The panther’s eyes widened a little and the snarl suddenly seemed to Daniel to be a malicious grin.  Closing his eyes, Daniel prepared to open his awareness to the creature before him.  He breathed in an out, the hideous laughter echoing through his mind, and then opened his eyes.

                The creature before him looked more or less the same.  It was a panther, much like any other that could be found throughout Zootopia.  But resting on its back was… something.  Its long crooked fingers were wrapped around the panther’s throat, securing its grip.  Long flowing arms melded into long coiling strands of tentacles, wrapped around the panther’s limbs.  The creature’s mammal like skull was plastered to the top of the panther’s head, secured between its ears.  The creature’s lipless mouth whispered unheard words into the panther’s ears, as it grinned in sadistic glee from its place on the panther’s back.  The panther’s eyes though, were not filled with the rage Daniel saw with his regular sight.  The panther’s eyes, were full of terror.  Likewise, Daniel was certain that if he could have heard the panther’s real voice, it would have been screaming.

 

* * *

 

 

Judy sighed, and rubbed her forehead as she observed the fruit of her labors.  The guest bedroom had originally been setup as a pretense for when her parents had come to visit their daughter in the city.  Allegedly, it had been her room, and had been decorated to her tastes to put forth the illusion that she regularly slept in it.  She had done so to ease her parents into the idea that she was shacking up with Nick, and it had kept them reasonably happy.  Over time though, the room had become more of a catchall for anything the pair wanted out of the way, and had accumulated an alarming amount of detritus.  When she had first set out to clean up the room, she had barely been able to open the door without toppling a precariously stacked column of cardboard boxes.   Now, when she looked around the room, it was mostly clear of objects, though she noted she would need to secure the doors on the closet.  She didn’t want either Fru or J to be accidentally crushed beneath a pile of Nick’s comic books. 

                Thoughts of her partner caused her to subconsciously scowl as she considered the developments of the previous 24 hours.  The revelation had hurt, but now she felt more numb than angry. Still, there was so much that she needed to work out with him.  Their discussion earlier had been little more than the opening salvos in the greater conflict that was to come, and she also had to tell him her decision regarding his desire to bring their relationship closer than ever.  Her parents would likely also have a strong opinion on the matter, and she would need to put out that fire as well. She groaned a bit, considering the can of carrots that whole discussion would open and she flopped into the desk chair she had brought from her old apartment.  She heard movement in their bedroom.  Nick had been trying desperately to clean their apartment, a losing battle in the best of times.  Fru was due to arrive in a little under ten minutes, and she felt they had managed as best as they were going to in the period of time they had available to them.  As she sat, her mind began to turn, going over the facts of the case they had been pursuing since that fateful night in Old Zootopia.

 

“Number one.” She though aloud. “There’s a summoner working to bring spirits into the city.”  It still felt odd to say those words out loud, but she was simply too tired to care if it sounded silly. “Number two, the summoner wasn’t at the last location, but there was a savage mammal. Third, this mammal murdered a bunch of animals before we were able to stop it.  Fourth, the summoner must have a reason to do this, and will likely do it again.”  She tried to puzzle out the reasoning behind the attacks, but either she lacked the proper context or was simply too tired to work it out.  She screwed up her eyebrows as she pondered, and grunted in frustration.  She tapped her paws irritably on the desk, as her exasperation grew.  She hated feeling helpless.   She had rarely come across something that she couldn’t overcome with perseverance and dedication.  The more she and her partner delved into this world, however, the more she realized just how clueless she was.  She needed answers, and she wasn’t getting them.  She placed her muzzle into her paws, and angrily tugged at her ears. The motion stinging, but allowing her to vent her pent up feelings of anger and frustration.  She relaxed, and sighed then, shifting one ear away from her muzzle as she looked up to her desk.  Sitting on top of it, was an old stuffed toy she had received when she was young.  The bunny sat in its little police uniform, a crumpled junior ZPD badge stuck to its chest.  It looked at her with unseeing stitched eyes, its gaze making the doe feel judged.

 

“I don’t suppose you have any ideas?” She asked the doll rhetorically.  The doll of course didn’t offer her anything more than its threadbare, encouraging smile.  She gathered the doll to herself then, and hugged it with all her might.  Then she released it, setting back onto the desk.  She straightened its hat, and stood, stretching her back as she did so.  She checked the time, and made the decision to head downstairs to wait for Fru to arrive.  While she couldn’t fling supernatural magic, or cave in a building with a sweep of her paws, she could still protect those in danger.  If nothing else, she could stand in the way, and she meant to do it.  She turned away from the doll then, turning out the light as she did.  The doll watched her go, its unmoving gaze following her out the door as she went.

 

“I’m going to go meet Fru, she should be here any second.”

 

“K. Need me to help carry anything?”

 

“Thanks Nick. I’ve got it.”

 

The door shut, and Nick’s ears drooped. He let the mask he had been holding drop and he looked tiredly down at the basket of laundry he had been taking to the small laundry room adjacent to the kitchen.   He had been fearing the day Judy clued into the corruption within the ZPD for years.   In truth, he had always hoped she would never find out, but he knew in his heart of hearts that such an eventuality was inevitable.  He also knew that he should have been the one to clue her in, but he hadn’t.  He shook his head, then hauled the basket and its contents to the pile of similarly full baskets inside the kitchen.  He slid these into the glorified closet which housed their two level washing machines, and shut the door behind him.  Time enough to do the laundry later.  He made his way to their couch and dropped into its cushions with a heavy groan.  He kicked his feet up and laid back, going over the events of the day in his head.

                Carrots was mad.  Likewise, she was frustrated and scared.  She had also been acting dodgy ever since he had brought home those pamphlets.  He looked to them, the contented mammals on their covers, as well as the happiness that was evident in their postures.  He turned away then, a frown working its way onto his muzzle. So many issues, in so little a time.  Judy had always been temperamental, something he had navigated carefully over the years of their relationship.  Still, surprises had a habit of cropping up when least expected. Frequently, these problems stemmed from the lagomorph he shared his heart with.  Now, he wasn’t exactly sure how to proceed and the uncertainty ate at him.  Nick Wilde was a mammal who made plans.  He executed those plans, and saw each step through. Of course, contingencies were part of the trade, but how exactly does one plan for things like this? “I should have told her.” He muttered to himself, a disgusted look crossing his features as he rubbed his forehead.  “Why didn’t you tell her?”  He could have, really at any time.  While he didn’t know for certain what officers in the ZPD were crooked, he knew plenty of ways he could have found out.  What he had told Judy, about not wanting to see the truth was only partially correct he knew.  There was more however.  “It’s because you didn’t want to see her face.”  Judy was an idealist.  She always had been, from what he could infer from the mammals who knew her the longest.  She had always wanted to be a cop and to serve the greater good.   How would she cope with the knowledge that all of her assumptions about the police being a force for good was a lie?  Or, if not a lie, certainly a misguided and over simplified fantasy.  Even when she had been forced to do menial tasks in the life of duty, she had chalked it up as being for the greater good.  Serving all mammals.  Making the world a better place.

                “It would shatter her.” He shook his head, and looked to the ceiling.  Cob webs hung there, moving merrily in the breeze of their apartment’s climate control unit. He sighed, making a mental note to get out the telescopic duster Judy’s mom had gotten her on her last birthday.  Judy seemed to be holding together for the moment and Nick suspected part of the reasoning had to be the plethora of changes that had occurred over the past week. He supposed, that after having fought literal monsters, the idea that the mob had bought off police officers must be relatively mundane.  That, of course, was a whole other bag of worms.  He growled a low snarl, as he though back to the previous morning.  The wizard had goofed, and it had caused him to back the wizard, lest he be taken in for questioning once again.  Daniel was their lifeline in this crazy new world of supernatural threats, and the pair needed him to survive.  Still, the thought that he had inadvertently threatened their positions in the ZPD made the vulpine’s hackles raise.  He knew on a rational level that Daniel had been trying to stop an attack from another powerful spirit, but the botched job still caused him to feel protective of himself and his partner. His phone beeped then, signaling that he had a new text message. He pulled the device from his pants pocket, and checked the message.

 

5:34 PM

_Fru’s here.  Can you come get the car?_

He smirked, answering in the affirmative, and hauled himself up to his feet.  He supposed he and Judy would need to talk things over and soon.  But for now, they had a guest who needed them and he needed to keep his own feelings in check.  So he wiped the worry from his face and proceeded down the stairs to help his partner try to ease some of her friend’s burden.

 

  A few moments later, four mammals made their way back into the apartment.  Judy led the way followed closely by the pair of shrews. Fru Fru looked much as she always did, fashionably dressed, claw’s freshly manicured, though her posture definitely showed signs of strain.  Besides her, the six year old Judy was skipping into the apartment, marveling at the size of everything as she did.

 

“Aunty J, why do you have such big shoes?”  The little girl swung her mother’s paw back and forth, as she considered the small pile of sneakers Nick had neglected to pick up.

 

Judy smiled warmly at the little shrew and crouched down in the door way to get closer to her level.  “Because I have such big feet.”

 

“Why do you have big feet?”

 

Judy’s smile deepened. “Because I am a big mammal.”  She ignored Nick’s snicker on that point, and ushered the two into the apartment.

 

“Can I have big feet?” 

 

The two shrews stepped over the threshold and into the living room proper.   Nick brought up the rear as he did so, the rodent sized car looking like a toy as it was clenched between his paws.   He closed the door with a backwards kick of his foot, slamming the door with a loud boom.  The two smaller mammals flinched, and little J covered hear ears with her paws.

 

“Loud.” She said, though not upset.  She did look a bit startled, and suddenly, the pair looked so small to Judy.  She winced, and looked to Nick, who shrugged apologetically.

 

“Yes, he is dear.” Judy glared over at her partner, but then turned a smile back to little J. “But our door gets stuck easy, so we have to push it really hard so it closes.  Ok?”

 

The child nodded. “Ok.”  But she didn’t take her hands off her ears.

 

“Hey kiddo, want to come jump on the bed?” Nick asked, a smirk forming on his muzzle. Judy’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “Let’s go.”  Nick started shuffling in quick step back to his and Judy’s bedroom, the little shrew in hot pursuit, squealing in happy anticipation. 

 

Judy shook her head, and looked to her friend. Fru smiled sadly back, but didn’t say much.  It dawned on Judy then, that nick had taken the little one out of her mother’s hands and left her in the company of a friend.  “Want some wine?” 

 

Fru turned uncertainly to see where her daughter had run off to, but smiled when she heard the laughter coming from down the hallway. “Thanks Judy. Yes.”

 

A few moments later saw the pair, in the kitchen, nursing glasses of wine brewed by her father.  It tasted of summer berries, and distant memories, as they stood in companionable silence.  Judy, leaning with one shoulder against the counter, and Fru Fru standing atop it.  She had needed to keep a few smaller glasses for whenever Fru had visited in the past, and she was grateful that at least all of the dishes had been cleaned recently.  As time drug on, they heard Nick in the next room, pretending to be a Kraken from the deep.  Apparently little J was defending their bed, which was really a pirate ship, from Nick’s depredations.  Nick, ever the show mammal, was roaring in fury. Judy looked into her friend’s eyes, and saw silent tears streaming down them, an agonized expression on her face.

 

“Thank you” Fru whispered in a voice barely audible even with a rabbit’s prodigious hearing.

 

“It’s ok.” Judy felt tears of her own start to fall, and she put a finger up to the shrew. 

 

Fru embraced Judy’s finger, and sobbed quietly.  She allowed herself this small consideration, and gave into her despair for ten minutes.  Then, slowly, she pulled herself together, and nodded at the larger mammal.  Fru was many things, Judy decided, but she wasn’t weak.  Born the child of a mammal who had thrived in the darkness of a criminal underworld, without the build of a more dangerous mammal, Fru must have inherited her father’s steely resolve.  After a few more moments, her sobbing had quieted, and she took a drink from her glass.

 

“Thank you for taking us in.”

 

“It’s no problem sug.”

 

“I’m not really sure how long…”  Fru paused, took a breath, and then continued. “I’m not sure how long we will need to stay for.”

 

“It’s fine. You’re welcome for as long as you need.”

 

“I’m planning for us to leave the city.” 

 

The admission stung, and Judy was sad to see that her friend would be leaving.  Still, given the circumstances, it was a smart move. “Do you need help making plans?”

 

The shrew smiled at her friend. “You guys are doing plenty.  I should be able to arrange it in a few days. Barring any problems.”

 

They stood in silence once more, the sounds of a kraken being harpooned coming from the hallway.

 

“He is good with kids.”  Fru said, a smile across her face.

 

A stab of guilt surged through her, then faded. “Yeah. He is.”

 

“Do you think…” Fru started, but stopped at a loud bang that sounded from the living room.  Judy scooped up Fru, and hobbled into the living room as she attempted to keep her weight off her stiff leg.  Shattered glass lay on the carpet, where Fru’s car had toppled off the coffee table.  Nick had apparently stashed it there on his way into the bedroom and hadn’t secured it properly.  _Damnit Nick, now there’s glass everywhere._ She moved to go assess the damage, but then stopped, as she heard a clicking noise coming from inside the tiny automobile.  She took an involuntary step back, as the rodent sized car swayed. Something inside the vehicle was trying to work its way out. Judy saw a pincer emerge from the window, followed by another.  A moment later, a creature with a long segmented body like a centipede emerged from the vehicle.  Instead of a set of mandibles however, it had a mammalian face, which opened in a tinny scream. 

 

* * *

 

 

The door leading to the holding cells opened with a boom and the loud pounding hoof steps.  Daniel sat on his bed, staring at the feral creature before him, mind racing as he tried to place what it was he was seeing. 

 

“Mr. Coleman.”

 

Daniel stared, hearing the spirits hideous laugh echoing in his mind as he did so.

 

“Mr. Coleman.” Daniel shook his head, then closed his eyes, as he willed his awareness to recede.  He opened them again, and saw the panther as he had before. The sight sickened him, and he turned away, instead looking to the newcomer. A water buffalo stood outside the ballistic plastic of his cell, looking down at him.  He wore a frown he was all too used to in his experiences with the police though. _At least some things are consistent._

 

“My name is Bogo, I am the chief of police in Zootopia.”

 

Daniel gazed back to the panther, who was staring at him with that hideous grin.  He shuddered. “I know who you are chief.”

 

“Then you also know why I have a great deal of concern regarding what’s going on with this case.”

 

“You do?  I had no idea.” Daniel had seen his type before.  Mammals who used their size, and a grumpy disposition to intimidate mammals into compliance.  In his experience, they were little more than bullies.

 

Bogo scowled. “Yes damnit.  And you know damn well why.  I’ve got you working with one team of cops, and accused by another. 

 

“Must be a real pickle to figure out.” Daniel drawled.  “I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t sitting around my home, minding my own business after helping you guys with an investigation.”

 

Bogo snorted, then shook his head.  He turned for a moment to look at the panther, who had resumed stalking around its cell.  “I don’t know what your game is in all of this Coleman, but you are putting two of my best officers on the line with you.  I don’t know if you’re guilty, or if you are honestly trying to help.  It it’s the former, we will nail your tail to a post.  If it’s the latter…stay away from Hoppes and Wilde.”

 

“Pardon.”

 

“You heard me.”  Bogo looked once more down to the vulpine, and in his eyes was…concern?  “Don’t go near them, do you understand what I am saying.”

 

Daniel nodded, thinking over what the chief was trying to tell him without saying it. “Got it. Stay away. Sure.”

 

Bogo snorted. “Good.  Your lawyer is here, and your bail has been paid.” 

 

Daniels eyes widened in shock.  “Uhh, what?”

 

“You’re free to go.  I just wanted to give you a bit of advice on your way out.”  The chief opened the cell door, unlocking it with a key on his belt. The Cape buffalo stood back, swinging the cell door open.  Daniel dropped down, and took a tentative step forward.  Bogo waited, though he was no longer really paying Daniel much attention.  His eyes were fixed on the panther, who was staring at the chief now, its manic grin plastered across its muzzle.  Daniel proceeded out of the door, shuffling as he went from the pain in his side and head.  A steady throb built up as he did so, and he took one last look at the panther, before turning his back once more on the holding cells.  The ghostly, hideous laughter of the spirit sounded once more through his mind, and he quickened his step out the door.  With Bogo besides him, he made his way towards the front desk, all the while trying to sort out who could have arranged for the bail.   Daniel didn’t really have a lawyer, and while Eva could have made some phone calls, he doubted the familiar could have scrounged up the money to get him out of jail so quickly.  _We’ll find out soon enough._   After a few moments, the desk came in to view.  The portly cheetah sat there, _did he ever leave_ , talking to a lion in a well pressed suite.  At first, Daniel took the lion to be a female, but then realized the lion was missing its mane.   While he had heard of lion’s who didn’t have them, either because of genetics or esthetic taste, he had never seen one.  The most striking feature of the lion though, was his eyes.  They were a deep gold, with flakes of green along the irises.  Altogether, it was an imposing combination.  As they drew closer, Daniel began to overhear the conversation the two were having.

 

“…the second time in as many days my client has been brought in.  He has been cooperative, and the arresting officers were needlessly rough.  Such actions could be construed as harassment, and no further questions will be directed at my client unless I am present.”  The lawyer spoke in clipped tones, oozing with condescension.  He didn’t so much loom, but his very presence was over bearing.  The cheetah was leaning away from the lion sub consciously, and shot a gratified look to the chief as he approached.

 

“Here he is Mr. Obonyo.  I trust you will consider our cooperation in this matter satisfactory.” Bogo spoke in a pleasant, but dangerous tone as he eyed the lion. 

 

Daniel supposed that even the chief was a little unsettled by the lion.  If nothing else, no one feels completely comfortable in the presence of a lawyer.

 

“Mr. Coleman, please do not say anything more at this time.  You have done enough to help these mammals in their investigations.  It is time for us to go. Good evening Chief Bogo.”

 

“Coleman, don’t leave town.” Bogo’s nostrils flared, and he could feel the larger mammal’s gaze boring a hole into his back as he and the lion turned to go.  Daniel kept his mouth shut, but studied the lion as they made their way outside.  Mr. Obonyo walked with an assured step and grace, that never the less displayed power.  He was confident, but also carried himself as if he was floating above the ZPD.  He positively dripped disdain as he walked through the building, and Daniel filed that thought away for another time.  As they headed down the steps, Daniel notice a long black car, waiting for him.

 

“Quite the ride for springing me out of jail.”

 

“It is my benefactor’s, and yours.”  The lawyer said simply.

 

“Neat. Didn’t know I had one.” Daniel tried to read the expression on the layer’s face but couldn’t read him.  “Ok, quiet it is.” Daniel turned eyes forward once more.  The lawyer proceeded to the door of the limousine, knocked twice in rapid succession, and then opened the door for Daniel to slip inside.  Daniel waited a moment, then shrugged and stepped inside.  The vehicle was large enough for him to stand up in, and as he entered, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom.

 

“Mr. Coleman.”  Said a deep, rich baritone.  Eyes, the color of old dollars gazed at him from the shadow.  “John King.” A lion, though with a full mane and a pleased expression on his muzzle, held out a paw for Daniel to shake. “I have so looked forward to making your acquaintance.”


	12. Chapter 12: Cordially Invited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in this chapter. Lots of colds in my home, and the Cleric was busy this weekend. Hope you all enjoy.

 

                Fru screamed as Judy took several steps away from the creature emerging from the vehicle.  Her back bumped into the couch, as the creature fully extricated itself, jaws opening in anticipation.  She heard the noises from the bedroom stop, and for a brief moment, there was no sound in the apartment, aside from the Fru’s terrified shrieking.

 

“Judy?”

 

As if triggered by the vulpine’s concerned voice, the creature lunged, deceptively fast, as Judy leapt up onto the cushions of the couch, her leg throbbing from the sudden movement.  The creature reared then, attempting to climb up the side of the couch, but falling just short of reaching the cushions.  “Hah” She said in triumph, a smile forming on her lips. Then, before their eyes, the creature’s form shivered, and started to grow.  “Nick, we’ve got a problem.”

 

“Oh. My. God.” Fru’s eyes were widened in terror, her cheeks puffing as she panted.   “What…what…”

 

“No time.” Judy smiled reassuringly down to the shew, the called over her shoulder, “Nick, we have a monster in here.” The creature’s top legs finally reached the top of the couch cushion, and Judy pushed off again, leaping off the back of the couch.  Her leg screamed with pain upon impact with the hardwood floor of their apartment.  Judy lurched awkwardly as her weight settled unevenly, her injured leg unable to fully support her weight.   She moved away from the couch, unable to move more quickly than a determined shuffle. The creature’s mammalian face peered over the couch, long fangs dripping spittle that sizzled and frothed when it touched the furniture’s floral fabric.    “Nick, I need you out here!”

                The creature turned its gaze briefly to the bedroom, and Judy realized it had understood her.   It shifted its position, so that part of the couch would be between itself and the bedroom. Nick moved cautiously into the room, pistol raised in both paws.  He searched the room, looking briefly with concern at the doe, then continued sweeping the room.  The creature remained silent, but Judy knew it was still in the room somewhere behind the couch. 

 

“What is it?”

 

“No idea.  Probably something from the spirit world.”  Hideous laughter echoed from behind the couch.

 

“Cut the creepy bullshit!”  Nick snarled, eyes shifting to the couch.  He moved his pistol to track the sound, but Judy hissed, shaking her head.  

 

“We can’t use a gun in here.”   She gestured towards the wall behind Nick.   He grimaced, then nodded, lowering the weapon once more.  The rounds used in their pistols were designed to bring down mammals of fairly large sizes.  As such, they would easily penetrated the drywall of their apartment and continue on into the apartments next door, possibly hurting or killing innocent bystanders.  They needed to get away, get out of danger, and reassess the situation.  Their first priority, after all, was to get Fru and her daughter out alive.  Remembering the tiny rodent, she looked down to her paw, seeing that Fru Fru was staring at something on the wall.  Moving without thinking, Judy dove to the left, as a much larger creature pounced onto the ground she had just occupied.  She went down with a crash, her left shoulder slamming into the ground, as her weakened leg caused her to fall unevenly.  The cast on her arm bounced off the hard wood floor and she hissed with pain.  She did keep the presence of mind to keep her right paw, and its precious cargo, up and away from her fall.  She felt something pierce the side of her leg then and a new burning pain erupted in her lower calf.  She screamed, the sound torn from her lungs by the searing agony that engulfed her. 

                Nick took three quick strides and kicked the creature with all his might.  It was tough, like kicking a football made of crocodile skin, but was surprisingly light.  Placing all of his strength behind the blow, the creature detached itself from Judy’s leg, and went careening into the kitchen.  “Come on fluff, we got to go.”

 

Judy panted, the pain causing her vision to swim. “Where’s….where’s J…”

 

“She’s safe, she’s in our room.  Let’s get her and go…” The creature rose, its eyes gleaming with malice as it let out another hideous cackle. “Creepy little bastard.”  Reaching down, he removed Fru from Judy’s paw, and tucked her in his shirt pocket.  He then picked Judy up by main strength, and started running to the bedroom.  Sparing a brief glance over his shoulder, Nick saw the creature pursuing, its form shivering again as it expanded.  He reached the door and unceremoniously dumped Judy to the ground.  Then, he slammed the door in the creature’s face and braced it with his back.  The door rocked in its hinges, opening just slightly.   _Damn this thing is strong_.  He force the door shut again, and twisted the lock shut.   He doubted it would help much, but he would take any advantage he could get. 

 

“Carrots, take my phone!”

 

His partner was breathing heavier, and Nick smelled the tell-tale scent of corruption in the air mixed with blood.  _Shit, that thing was venomous._ “Judy, phone now partner.”

 

She stirred, then nodded, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession as she reached to take the phone from her partner’s paw.  She could feel the venom in her leg, burning, and moving steadily upwards.  It felt as if someone had injected molten lead into her leg, but she gritted her teeth and took the phone, staring at it without comprehension.  “What…what was I doing?”

 

“Daniel, call Daniel.” Nick’s body surged forward, as a particularly heavy blow fell on the door. “Tell him we need him here and now!”

 

Judy nodded, and flicked back through the log from earlier that morning.  She found the number and called it.  The phone rang, then nothing. “He didn’t answer.”  She grimaced, the pain getting worse.

 

“Which number did you call,” Nick said through clenched teeth.

 

“The one from this morning.”

 

“That was a PAY PHONE!”  Nick shouted as once more, the creature pushed the door forward, the lock snapping in the jamb.  He held on though, bracing one paw against the opposite wall.  “Call his personal number in my contacts.”

 

“You saved his number?”  Judy searched for the number, and on finding it, started the call.

 

“Be prepared!” Nick yelled throwing his weight backwards.  He succeeded in preventing the door from opening farther, but failed to fully shut it again.

 

The phone rang.  Once. Twice.  Three times.  And then, an answering service started.  “He’s…not home…” The creature laughed, pausing briefly in its efforts to get inside the bedroom.  Nick cursed, and Judy felt the phone drop from her suddenly numb paws.

 

* * *

 

 

Death Curses

~ Magic, as you know, is the essence of life.  It flows around us, giving the world its form and stability.  It is found in every living thing, the spark that keeps our souls tied to this world.  When a life ends, the energy ends with it, simple as that.  Wizards use this energy, both from within, and around themselves.  Using their will, they can shape the energy, and give it new form.  One thing you newbies need to learn though is that you need to watch how much of your own power you use.  It is possible to use so much power, your heart loses the energy to keep beating.  On the other hand, if you are about to die, and you’ve got nothing to lose, you might as well use that power.  Consider the power of an effect using a portion of your life energy.  Now multiply that to include everything you got.  It’s a hell of a trick.  One you can only do once.~

 

* * *

 

 

Daniel stared at the Lion’s proffered paw, contempt written across his features.  “I know who you are Johnny.”  He noticed with satisfaction the irritated expression that briefly darkened the Lion’s eyes.  The smile never left his muzzle though, and Daniel felt uncomfortably aware of his proximity to the crime boss.

 

“Indeed, I should think so.  Please have a seat, and buckle your safety belt.  It is after all, the law.”  The smile the lion wore never moved, but Daniel swore he could see humor lurking somewhere within his cold green eyes. 

 

“Maybe I don’t want a ride.  Maybe I prefer to walk.”  Daniel crossed his arms, shifting his weight in such a way he could move for the door if things turned violent.

 

Instead, King leaned towards the mirrored glass, separating the passenger compartment from the driver and tapped on it.  A moment later, the glass lowered, and Daniel saw two more large predators in the front of the limousine.  The lawyer, Obonyo, sat in the passenger’s seat.  Driving the vehicle was a very large, and very aggravated looking male cheetah.  Unlike the portly sergeant inside, he was all lean muscle, and dangerous lines.  Daniel had no doubt that if it came to running for it, the Cheetah would be on him before he could even make it to the stairs. “Mr. Obonyo, have you filed the necessary paper work securing Mr. Coleman’s release?”

 

The lawyer turned his earie gaze on the vulpine, and smiled wanly.  “Nearly.” He said a sneer audible in his countenance. “I still have yet to file the last form, securing our new evidence.”

 

“If you please.”  King raised a paw, and accepted an envelope from the lion, who continue to stare at Daniel.  There was something in that gaze that shook Daniel to his core. Something that made him feel like he needed to go dig a hole, then pull it over top himself.  Daniel turned his attention back to the crime lord, and saw him removing a stack of photographs from the envelope.  He shuffled through them for a moment, and then held one up for the fox’s perusal.  They were images of himself, as well as Wilde and Hopps.  They were exiting the building, flames dancing behind them.  It showed them working together, eating together, and leaving together.  An implication hung in the air.

 

“What do you want?” Daniel’s throat went dry, and he was starting to feel more than a little hung over.

 

“For now, you to sit down and buckle your safety belt.” The fox waited a moment, and then shrugged, doing as he was asked.  Once he was secured, the driver pulled out into the street. 

 

“Mr. Coleman, I would like to hire you to perform a job for me.”

 

Daniel frowned. “And what is that exactly, not taking pictures I assume.”

 

“Nothing so mundane, no.”  The crime boss continued to flip through the photos.  Images of Daniel, conjuring flame, as well as the ghasts they had encountered the day before, passed by in a flash.  “I see that you have a unique set of skills.  I make it a point to associate myself with mammals who possess a myriad of specialties.”  The duo up front smiled at that, and Daniel suppressed a shudder.

 

“So what, you want me to do, join your little _family_?”

 

“I do pay well.  I find those with the talents I require are often underappreciated by society at large.”

 

As much as Daniel hated to admit it, the offer was tempting.  He had never been what any would consider wealthy.  Scraping by on low income was difficult in a city as large as Zootopia.  He had never even left the city, truth be told.  For a brief instant, he considered what it would be like to travel.  To see the world, and explore other cultures.  He knew there was so much more to magic than what he knew.  There were wizards the world over, who practiced their art in ways Daniel couldn’t even fathom.  What would it be like to learn from them?  “Gee, that just sounds awesome.  I’m sure it wouldn’t cost me anything…except my soul.”

 

“Don’t be melodramatic.” The lion shook his head dismissively. “I’m not asking you to sign a contract in your own blood.  I just want you to protect my mammals.”

 

That gave Daniel a moment of pause. “Protect them?”

 

In response, the Lion showed Daniel a picture of himself, immolating one of the ghasts. “I take care of my own. I need someone with your talents to protect my mammals while they go about their work.”

 

Daniel looked at the picture, and then up to his eyes.  They were, sincere.  He looked away quickly though, not desiring a soul gaze with the crime boss. Hot anger flashed through Daniel’s eyes then, as he remembered the slaughtered mammals in the warehouse that morning.  “Is that what those mammals were from this morning? A shipment?” 

 

For the first time, real emotion touched King’s features.  The lion bared his teeth, a cold light gleaming in his eyes. “I. Don’t. Traffic. Mammals.”

 

Daniel flinched backwards, and saw the anger vanish from King’s face.  Then, Daniel’s lips peeled back from his own fangs. “You’re still a criminal who profits off the misery of others.”

 

The lion brushed aside Daniels words as if they were insects buzzing around his muzzle. “I am a perfectly legitimate business mammal, as anyone in city hall would tell you.”

 

“You can say whatever you want.  I know what you are and I think you’re scum.”

 

King shrugged. “We’re really not so different.” Daniel snorted, but King cut him off. “We both do what is necessary to keep the peace.  Do you know that crime has been on the decline recently?  With the end of the crime bosses, there’s no more turf wars. No more uncivilized violence. There is peace.”

 

Daniel snorted again, “What are you talking about, the crime families are still in po…” Daniel froze, seeing a look of supreme confidence in King’s eyes.

 

“Not anymore.”

 

A cold feeling built in Daniel’s belly.  He realized something radical had happened, and he was completely unprepared to deal with the consequences.

 

“What I am after is an end to the unnecessary loss of life.  Surely, you can agree that such measures are fully justified. Order must be maintained Mr. Coleman.  Which is precisely why I need your help.”

 

Daniel shook his head, wariness returning to him, as he considered everything that he had heard.  “No.”

 

King didn’t look surprised, only disappointed.  “A pity.  I suppose then there’s only one recourse left to me then.”  King moved his paw to his jacket, tucking his paw inside the pocket in the lining.  Daniel didn’t move, didn’t respond, and waited for the inevitable.  Instead, he prepared to level his death curse at the crime boss, hoping to a least do some good before checking out.  Instead of a weapon, however, King removed another, smaller, envelope from his pocket, and held it out for the vulpine to take.  “I believe this might interest you.”

 

Daniel raised his eyebrows, but took the envelope.   He held his focus though, waiting to unleash his final spell should the envelope prove to be a ruse.  No such attack came.  Feeling a little foolish, Daniel opened the envelope. Inside were more pictures and an address.  His eyes opened in shock as he worked over what exactly it was he was looking at.  He looked up from the photos, back to the middle aged lion, a question in his eyes.  “Why?” 

 

“Because, Mr. Coleman,” The lion raised a paw, and the limousine stopped, “It is my civic duty. Now, get out.”  Daniel pocketed the envelope, then undid his safety belt.  The three predators stared at him, until he shut the door and the limousine pulled away.  Daniel looked up and down the street, realizing he didn’t quite know where he was.  He considered his options. He needed to get the information in his paws to the ZPD pronto.  He immediately dismissed the notion of turning the evidence in himself.  Given its source, it would either be dismissed out of hand, or get him thrown in jail once again. Instead, he would need to turn it over to mammals the ZPD trusted.  He didn’t like putting them at risk once more, but he needed Nick and Judy.   Making a decision, Daniel went about the preparations he needed in order to locate the only mammals that had shown him trust, hoping the information wouldn’t come back to harm them.  And then, he heard the screams.

 

* * *

 

 

                Nick groaned, as the creature once again tried to force its way into the bedroom.  He saw Judy slump then, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw her sink to the ground, her breathing speeding up as she tried to fight off the venom sapping her strength.  Nick, cursed, as fury built up inside him.  _That fucking wizard.  The moment they need him, and he’s not even able to pick up the god damn phone!_ Nick knew it was only a matter of time before this thing got inside, and when it did, they would all be finished.  Consequences or no, he needed to end this, and for that, he needed his pistol.  Recently replaced, he hadn’t even had time to test fire it.  He hoped it wouldn’t be like his first weapon, jamming after the first ten rounds.  Retrieving his weapon with one paw, he placed the barrel of the weapon against the door, hoping the solid wood would slow the rounds enough to prevent them from passing through the apartment walls, and pulled the trigger three times.  The sound was deafening in the enclosed space, and Judy subconsciously covered her ears at the sound.  Likewise, Nick’s ears drooped in pain, a dull ringing sound tinging everything he heard.  He felt a small form shiver on his chest, recalling that he still had Fru Fru in his pocket.  The pressure on the door let off, and Nick felt the creature retreat down the hallway.

                Nick gently removed the shrew from his pocket, and opened the bedside drawer next to the door.  Little J was in corner, visibly terrified, but not making a sound.  He placed Fru beside her daughter, and slide the drawer shut again.  Bracing himself, Nick peeked around the door, which was slightly ajar. The hallway was empty.  The creature had apparently retreated, taking a moment to collect itself before charging back in most likely.  Nick moved swiftly to the window, and pulled back the blinds.  It was an older window, which moved on tracks inset into the walls.  He unlocked the latch, and attempted to open the window in order to access the fire escape.  A crowbar had been wedged into the window, preventing it from opening.  It had multiple panes, with a metal frame that had been designed sometime within the last 40 years.  Nick doubted he could squeeze through the cross sections, even if he could break the glass.  He sidled back up to the door, and looked down the hall.  The creature’s laughter echoed down the hall, and Nick was seized with anger.  He growled, and took a step into the hallway, his posture aggressive.

                Nick walked back down the hall, his steps echoing off the eerily silent halls, searching for the monster.  He crossed the threshold, into the living room, eyes sweeping left and right.  Nothing.  It was as if the monster had disappeared.  In truth, Nick wasn’t so sure the creature couldn’t do that, so he smelled for it instead.  There was some tangy smell in the air.   Sickly sweet, like fresh blood.  It was coming from…Nick looked up just in time to see the creature drop down on top of him.  Remembering what had happened in the warehouse, Nick rolled, and mostly got away from the creature.  He felt the fangs brush his fur, the skin irritated by the creature’s dripping venom, and once more, the laughter echoed through the room.

                The creature had grown in size, now about half Nick’s height.  Its face was close to him, and it smiled at him with a feral grin.  That grin cause the vulpine to bristle. _Cocky little bastard aren’t you._ Nick aimed his weapon at the creature, but it lashed out at him, impossibly fast, and snapped it out of his grip.  Nick dropped the weapon, and lunged forward, wrapping his paws around the creature, attempting to squeeze the life from it.  Without warning, the creature’s body split into a writhing mass of tentacles that likewise wrapped around Nick’s paws.  The creature’s mouth started moving then, and a terrible voice echoed in his mind.  “Blood.  Blood.  Taste. Feed. Blood. Blood. Feed.” Over and over, the creature whispered, and slowly started moving closer to Nick’s head.  Nick should have felt terror, but instead, he felt anger…hate.  Rage, blossomed like dark fire in his breast, and he wanted to hurt someone, anyone.  A hiss, so black and terrible it seemed to fill all of Nick’s senses bounced around the room.  It wasn’t until a moment later that Nick realized he was the one making the sound.

 

                The door slammed open, kicked in with enough force to cause even their stubborn door to slam open.  A very confused, and concerned looking vulpine stood on the other side, watching Nick struggle briefly with the monster.  Daniel cursed, and shuffled into the room, giving the combatants a wide berth as he headed for the kitchen.

 

Momentarily coming to his senses, Nick struggled once more against the creature, trying to push its face away from his. “I could use a little help here!”

 

“One second.” Noises of cabinets and drawers opening sounded from the kitchen.

 

“Are you fucking serious!” Nick was forced onto his knees, as the creature used its superior strength to pin him.

 

“Where’s the salt?”

 

“What!?” Nick’s ears pulled back from the creatures mouth, which inched ever closer.

 

“Where’s your salt?” Came back the wizard’s irritated voice.

 

“Second cabinet from the right of the fridge.” 

 

More rummaging sounds, and then a cry of success.  The creature was getting closer to Nick’s head, and he could feel the tentacles forcing his arms apart.  The wizard emerged, and started pouring salt in a rough circle around Nick and the monster atop him.  Then, he snapped his fingers down onto the circle, and an audible hum of power rung through the air like a live power line.  Instantly, the creature shrunk, and spun, diminishing in size until a small wooden sphere no larger than a bb dropped in Nick’s lap.  Nick sat, gasping for a moment, then shook himself. He looked up to see the wizard, white fur gently glowing, a frown evident on his muzzle. 

 

“You ok?”

 

“No time, follow me.”   Nick stood, and hurried down the hallway.  As his arm brushed the circle, the hum died, and Daniel’s fur returned to normal.  The wizard bent down and scooped up the small sphere, and followed Nick’s lead. The pair moved into the bedroom, and Nick saw Judy’s still form.  _No_ He leaned down, taking her muzzle in his paws.  Her lips were blue, covered in a white froth.  “Judy.”

 

“Move,” the smaller Vulpine said, and shoved Nick out of the way.  He bent down, took a look at Judy, and slapped her across the face. “You’re fine, get up Hopps!”

 

Nick growled, and pounced onto the wizard, bearing him to the ground. He wrapped his paws around the smaller fox’s throat and squeezed. “Don’t you touch her…your fault.” 

 

Daniel placed his paws around Nick’s, eyes widening.  He tried to peel away Nick’s paws, but the enraged vulpine was far stronger than him.  Daniel started to see stars, and he tried to say something to get Nick to back off, but to no avail.  Nick was scared, and he was angry, and he wasn’t going to listen.  Likewise, Daniel couldn’t concentrate enough to get out a spell.  He tapped on Nick’s paws, trying to get him to release his wind pipe.

 

Nick jumped at a gentle touch on his arm. He turned to see Judy, alive and well, sitting up beside him, concern in her Lavender eyes. “Ju…Judy?”  Nick turned back to the wizard, and realizing what he was doing, released him.  The wizard, lay on the floor, coughing, as he was finally able to take in a breath.

 

“I’m here partner.” Judy moved her had to grasp Nick’s

 

“You were…” Nick pulled her to him then, cradling her head under his chin.  She stiffened, then melded to his form.

 

“It was an illusion.” A raspy voice clarified.  “That thing showed you what it wanted you to see.”

 

Nick turned to see Daniel clasping at his throat, and his ears dropped down sheepishly.  He dropped his eyes, and shook his head.  It was as if the anger and the fear he felt only a moment earlier had evaporated like dew on a hot summer morning.  “Daniel…I’m…sorry.” 

 

Daniel shook his head, muttering darkly to himself.

 

“How did you get here?”  Judy asked, voice slightly muffled by Nick’s fur.   Nick let her go, realizing he might had been holding on to her too tightly. 

 

“I was … dropped off.”

 

“What?” Nick asked, still not able to look Daniel in the eye.

 

“It would seem someone knew you needed my help tonight, and arranged to bail me out, and get me here in time.”

 

“Bail you…were you arrested AGAIN?” Judy shook her head in exasperation.

 

“Story for another time. We need to get everyone out of here.  Where did that thing come from?”

 

“The spirit came from Fru’s car…wait, where’s Fru?”

 

“I put them in the drawer in my bedside table?”

 

“Oh god, I’ll get them.”

 

Daniel watched as the doe stood, and moved to open the drawer.  From within, she removed a pair of terrified shrews, clenching desperately to each other.  Both were visibly shaken, and most likely in some form of shock.  He turned to look over at Nick, who remained sitting on the floor, apparently having trouble sorting through his emotions.  “It wasn’t a spirit.”

 

Nick just looked blankly at the wizard.

 

“Never mind.  We can talk later.” He spoke slowly, allowing Nick to process his words.  Psychic attack often left the victim shaken, and it would be a little while before Nick was fully functional again. “For now, we need to get everyone to safety.  This place is compromised.  Do you all have anywhere else to go?”

 

Judy looked to Nick and shrugged.  Nick sighed, and nodded his head. “I know a place we can go.”

 

 

They stood before an old red door, its paint faded, and worn, but otherwise well maintained.  It was a place in one of Zootopia’s older neighborhoods, one where families had lived for generations.  While mammals had moved on, and the city had grown, the house remained a symbol of times long past.  Times filled with comfort, laughter, and peace.  A place filled with memories. Nick raised a paw, and knocked gently.  He knew that despite the hour, his knocks would be heard.  The house’s inhabitant had kept the same schedule more of less for thirty years, and he knew tonight would be no exception.  A moment later, the locks snapped open, and the door opened slightly, tied carefully to the frame by a thin brass chain.  The vixen on the other side was much like her home, past her prime, but well cared for.  Her red fur was well brushed, and her green eyes bright.  She raised a paw to her muzzle, as she took in Nick and his compatriots. 

 

“Mom, I need your help.”


	13. Chapter 13: Family Matters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up. I am in the midst of a work related project, and updates may slow a bit. Thank you all for reading, and to those who take the time to leave comments. They honestly help more than you know. They always make my day better. Thank you all. :D

Olivia Wilde stared at her son, for a moment, before she swept her eyes to the mammals accompanying him.  Of course the rabbit was there, as was another fox she had never seen before.  He was ill dressed, and kept casting his eyes around as if expecting an attack to come at any moment.  Likewise, a pair of shrews were clutched in the rabbit’s paws, looking scared and uncertain.  It had been a long time since Nicky had come to her in the night, needing her help with one thing or another.  She had hoped those days were long passed, and yet here he was, clearly in some form of trouble.   She swallowed, the nodded her assent, closing the door so she could undo the chain, and opened the door wide for her son and his retinue. “Nicky, what’s the matter?”  She turned to look at the rabbit, eyes narrowing as she did so. “Judy”

 

“Someone broke into our apartment, we need a place to stay while we get things under control.”  Nick lied without missing a beat. 

 

“Uh huh, and who is this?” 

 

Nick moved into the foyer, followed closely by Judy.  Daniel, on the other hand, remained outside, waiting for something.

 

“Daniel Coleman mam.  I wonder if I could ask your permission to come inside.”

 

Olivia looked to her son, eyebrows raised, then turned back to Daniel.  He seemed skittish about something, it perhaps a tad overly polite.  Still, it was better than some of the mammals Nicky had brought home over the years. “Please come in Daniel, we don’t bite.

 

“Thank you mam.”  Daniel stepped through the threshold, feeling its power wash over him.  The threshold at Judy and Nick’s apartment had been a minor thing.  While it had been a home for years, it hadn’t had the time necessary to build up the energy required to be truly formidable.  Ms. Wilde’s home, on the other hand, had years to develop and grow in strength.  Whereas the apartment had been akin to a battered wooden wall, this was like the armored hull of a battleship.  He felt the energy strain briefly against his power, then give way around him at the power of her invitation.  By inviting him to come in, she invited his power, which gave him an advantage should any more supernatural threats try to make their presence in the coming night. 

 

Olivia Wilde led the group into her small living room, its interior clean and inviting.  She gestured for them to sit, and moved into the kitchen.  The sound of a kettle being filled came, as well as the earthy aroma of tea bags being sifted.  “Nicky, can you help me with something for a moment?” 

 

Nick stiffened, then answered in the affirmative. “You all make yourselves comfortable.  I’ll be back and we can figure out sleeping arrangements.”

 

“I can handle that Nick.”  Judy raised the two shrews to her face. “I’ll show you guys where you can stay tonight.”

 

“Ok, Judy.” Fru answered, voice a monotone drone. 

 

Judy took the pair outside the room, and Daniel heard the sound of creaking stairs.  He sat, and groaned with pleasure as his aches receded slightly as he collapsed on the comfortable couch.  He leaned back, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to bask in the comfort, and his mind to go blank.

 

Inside the kitchen, Olivia was preparing her usual welcome of a spot of tea.  It had been her ritual as long as Nick could remember, as was the interrogation he was about to become the target of.

 

“What’s really going on Nicky?”  Olivia took mugs from the cupboard, arranging them in a line, as Nick placed a tea bag in each.

 

“What do you mean mom. I told you.”

 

“You were never good at lying to me dear.” She smirked at that, but her eyes remained hard.

 

Nick sighed, rubbing his head with his paw, a nervous gesture he had never managed to fully break. “I’m telling you the truth, but not all of it.”

 

“And why not?”  She removed a tray from the cabinet beside the stove, and began arranging things on it.

 

“It’s police business.”

 

The vixen scoffed, then motioned to the top of the refrigerator, and the sugar despiser just out of her reach.  Nick dutifully moved to retrieve it and she watched him with a critical eye.  There was a recently stitched gash on the top of his head, and he seemed to be favoring one paw over the other.  He was hurt, and he hadn’t told her.  That stung.  But worse, was what he wasn’t sharing about his life.  He had always tried to keep her in the dark about such things, a legacy of the fact she hadn’t told him about the things his father was dealing with.  She hadn’t expected the cancer to progress so quickly, and her intention of breaking the news slowly to her kit had proceeded more quickly than she had hoped or wanted.  He had never forgiven her for that.

 

“Don’t give me that excuse son of mine.” She shook her head, not allowing her emotions to best her. “You came into my home, making this my problem.  What is going on?”

 

Nick turned, and saw his mother as he often did.  The stoic vixen stood in front of the kettle, slowly starting to pour steam from its spout, her eyes flinty and resolved.  She was strong, stronger than any mammal he had ever met.  Yet she was asking him for something he couldn’t give.  He couldn’t involve her in the events of the past few days without endangering her to an unacceptable degree.  He needed to distract her, and he only knew of one way to do it.

 

“I showed Judy the pamphlets mom.”  He let the question hang in the air, then offered her the sugar dispenser. She took, her eyes locked in his, waiting for him to continue. “She said she needed time to think about it.” The vixen nodded, and turned away from her son, gripping the sugar tightly in both paws.

 

“Of course she does.”

 

“Mom.” He said, voice flat.

 

“Not my place to say.”   She dropped the sugar onto the tea tray, causing the whole thing to shake.  She removed the kettle and started pouring the boiling water into the mugs.

 

“Mom.”

 

“What Nicky, what?”  She turned, her emerald eyes flashing as she looked her kit in the eyes.  He was smiling sadly, slowly shaking his head.

 

“Mom, I know you’re disappointed in me… for my decisions.  But you must know how much I care.”

 

“I’m not disappointed Nicky.”  He cocked an eyebrow at her and she softly swore. “Alright, I suppose I am disappointed.  You could have ended up with a nice vixen and…”

 

“Not gonna happen mom.” 

 

“I know…I’m just… coping.  Ok?”  She raised her paws to her muzzle then, and rubbed tiredly at her eyes.  “I love you, and you are your own mammal.”

 

“Thank you.”  He said, voice clipped and precise as his tongue rolled over each syllable. He reached for her then, and pulled her into a deep hug. She clung to him, and sighed.  “I mean it mom.  For everything.”

 

“I suppose we’ve kept your guests waiting long enough.   I don’t anything smaller than these for the shrews, but I can probably arrange something for her.”

 

“We’ll make do.”

 

“Who are they?”

 

“Friends of Judy’s.  Over when our house got broken into.”

 

“Breaking into the home of two cops, gotta be the dumbest thief in the world.”

 

“I’ve seen my fair share.”

 

“They weren’t there to steal from you were they?”

 

Nick froze, gritting his teeth.  Apparently, his efforts to sidetrack his mother hadn’t worked. “No.”

 

She nodded. “Did they get away?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She nodded again. “You can stay as long as you need dear.”

 

The pair entered the living room to the sound of soft snores.  Daniel had apparently made himself comfortable, and fallen asleep on the couch. 

 

“What’s his story?”

 

“P.I. Working with us on a case.”

 

She grunted, and then gestured for them to return to the kitchen.  “I suppose it’s only natural, big night you all have had.  I suppose we should all get some sleep, and figure out how things are going to work in the morning.”

 

Nick failed to suppress a yawn, then nodded, placing a kiss on top his mother’s head between her ears.  “Thanks mom.”

* * *

Outsiders

~There are many planes in the matterium. Each one has life as vast and different as our own. Each one filled with beings as mean and vile and devious as ourselves.  Sometimes, they find their way here, sometimes they are brought. ~

* * *

 

For the first time in longer than any of them could have hoped, they slept.  It was the deep, dreamless slumber of the truly exhausted.   The kind of slumber that rarely comes in adulthood.  The kind that only comes to those who either truly have no worries, or those who have pushed themselves past the ability to care about them.  It was early in the morning, when Daniel awoke with a start, pawing at the damp patch he had managed to accumulate in on his muzzle.  He blinked tiredly, and gazed around the room, trying to piece together exactly where he was.  The wallpaper was faded, some garish green affair meant to simulate the leaves of trees.  The furniture, while old and worn, was comfortable, and had clearly been reupholstered many times.   Noises coming from the kitchen indicated he wasn’t the only one awake this early.  He briefly considered shutting his eyes again, but the smell of freshly brewed coffee pulled at his senses and he forced himself to rise.   Immediately, his brain began to register the complaints his body was sending him, and he had to take in a few breathes to work up the courage to continue to move.  His side ached, as well as a number of spots on his muzzle and head.  His bladder was fit to bursting, and he desperately needed to find a restroom.  Prioritizing that first, he made his way into the kitchen to find his host at the stove, brewing coffee in one of the older, stove top percolators.

 

“Good morning mam.” He began, suddenly feeling a little hesitant.  He realized he hadn’t ever caught his hostess’s name, and he had never been particularly good observing formalities.

 

She turned, from the coffee pot, and appraised the mammal before her.  He stank, smelling of booze and vomit.  Likely a drunk if she didn’t miss her guess.  She needed to remember for shampoo the couch once her guests had left. “Good morning…Daniel was it?”

 

“Yes mam.  Thank you for allowing me to stay the evening.”  He coughed. “I don’t suppose I could use your restroom?”

 

The vixen gestured to the stairs, through a breezeway.  “Upstairs, top of the landing.”

 

“Appreciated.” Daniel made his way to the top of the stairs, taking them two at a time, and shut the door behind himself.

 

Several minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, feeling a little refreshed as he did so.  He managed to clean the worst of the mess from his fur and clothes, but he needed a shower, and a change of clothes.  He would need to work in a trip to his apartment before he presented the materials King had given him in his pants pocket. He started to make his way downstairs, but stopped at a loud, strangled howl that came from one of the nearby bedrooms.  Freezing, he turned sharply and moved to the door her guessed the sound had come from.  A moment later, the sound came again, and Daniel opened the door into a small bedroom.  The tangle of limbs and sheets that greeted him was unlike anything he had seen before, including his years working the supernatural scene.  If it weren’t for the pairs different fur colors, we wouldn’t have known whose limbs were whose.  A pair of green eyes glanced to him, beneath a pile of pillows supporting the doe’s head.  Daniel stared, eyebrows retreating so far up his head that it looked like they might suddenly take flight.  The larger vulpine gestured emphatically, as if to say, _see what I put up with?_ Daniel gestured back, pantomiming a pair of legs moving downstairs, then pantomiming drinking from a mug. Nick responded with a thumbs up. 

 

Daniel, shaking his head, closed the door and retreated downstairs.

* * *

 

 “Carrots”

 

“MMM”

 

“Carrots”

 

“No”

 

Nick snickered. “I thought you were the morning mammal.” Judy responded with a rude gesture, the covered her ears with her pillow.  Except, her pillow had long ago been jettisoned, and her efforts came up short.  Pawing around the bed, she grabbed Nick’s tail, rumble from an evening’s slumber, and drew it up to her eyes.  “We need to get moving.”

 

“Moving is stupid”

 

“Be that as it may” Nick extricated his tail from her grip, the gesture accompanied by more lapine protests. “I’m gonna head downstairs and get some coffee.”

 

“Mmkay”

 

“Judy”

 

“Yeah”

 

“I need you to get off me”

 

Judy opened one groggy eye, and looked her partner in the face. “Do you?”  She smirked, and closed her eye again.

Nick tisked, and tried to wiggle his way free of the clutter of sheets, limbs and earned a wince from Judy as he did so. “What’s the matter?”  He glanced down at her, going over her injuries. “Arm or leg?”

 

“Leg” She waved him off. “Not too bad, just sore.” In truth, it was starting to throb, but she didn’t want to overly burden him with that knowledge.  He didn’t seem convinced however.

 

“We need to get you some pain killers for that.”  He placed his paws beneath her, and lifted her off himself, then slid out from under her. 

 

“It’ll be fine Nick.” She waived him off again. “Go get your coffee, I’ll be down in a bit.”

 

“Gonna check in on Fru Fru, and Judy?”

 

“Yeah, but not just yet.  Give them a few more minutes before they have to confront this.”

 

“Gotcha.”  He shook his tail, working out some of the ruffles, but failing to do much else.  His room had changed little over the years.  Though his collection of posters had long since been removed by his mother, there was still a fair collection of personal effects littering the room.  Things he had never bothered to take with him when he moved out.  Here, a picture of his track team, all happy faces, save for Flash, whose face was more of a mid-smile grimace. There, his old violin that his grandmother had given him.  When he had first started getting into trouble at school, his counselor had told his mother to encourage a creative outlet.   He had never developed a knack for the instrument, and had even tried pawning it a couple of times.  His mother had been furious, and insisted he practice.  In rebellion, he had made certain to do so at the most inopportune moments, filling their tiny home with a cacophonous screeching that had sent the neighbors into hysterics until his mother had finally relented.  He felt a stab of guilt about that, and a little shame.  Shaking his head, he opened his door, and headed downstairs in order to feed his addiction.

 

Nick entered the small kitchen, to find Daniel awkwardly applying jam to toast, while his mother stirred a large pan of eggs.  “Morning everyone.” 

 

“Morning sweetheart”

 

Daniel grunted, and continued to spread the sticky substance while avoiding getting on his paw fur, only marginally successfully.  Nick passed by, narrowly avoiding the table in the galley kitchen and reached for the coffee pot cooling on the back of the stove.  Before he reached it however, a wooden spoon collided with his knuckles, and he withdrew them, wincing.

 

“You know the rules.”

 

Nick sighed, and rubbed at his sore knuckles.  He heard a faint chuckle come from the vulpine behind him, and he turned to eye the wizard.   Apparently, Daniel had faced a similar experience.  Nick moved to the cupboard, and retrieved the flatware stacked neatly within.   He began setting plates in and orderly fashion about the table.  There were only three chairs, so they would have to work out something, but otherwise, he was able to put enough plates on it for everyone at least.  Before long, they had completed everything, and Judy had come down to join them. 

 

“Fru Fru and Judy ok?”

 

Judy sighed, and shook her head. “They wouldn’t come down for breakfast.  She wants to leave town right now.” Nick frowned at that.

 

“Could be the best thing for her.” Daniel chimed in, rubbing his freshly washed paws on a dish towel.

 

Judy shook her head. “We can talk later, but for now, I’m starving.”

 

They ate in awkward silence that Daniel observed with detached interest.  It seemed there was some tension between Judy and Ms. Wilde, made evident by the way they appeared to be steadfastly ignoring one another.  In fact, now that he paused to consider it, he realized that they had barely spoken to each other at all, speaking more indirectly that actually conversing.  After they ate, the quartet washed up, and another pot of coffee was set on the burner. 

 

“Thank you Ms. Wilde, for everything.” Daniel began, “I was wondering if I could speak to these two in private about something.” 

 

Olivia raised an eyebrow at that, and briefly considered responding negatively.  She stopped though, and then nodded tiredly.  “I’ll be in the living room.”   She stood then, and moved out of the room, giving him one last look before leaving.

 

Judy watched Olivia go, a disingenuous smile on her face.  When she turned to face Daniel though, her mouth had pressed into a line, and her eyes turned speculative.  “Daniel, Nick and I were talking last night.”

 

“And”

 

“We need to know” She continued. “How did you find our place last night?  What was that thing?  Why were you arrested again?”

 

The wizard sighed. “As to the first point, you ever heard of a crime boss called John Prince?”  The cops stared at him, edges forming in their countenance.  “He’s been following me lately.  He’s been providing the ZPD with incrementing photographs of me over the past few days.  That warehouse full of Ghasts, turns out he had a spotter out there.  Got a good photo of me torching the place.”

 

“Any pictures of us?”   Judy asked, her voice a monotone.

 

“Yes”

 

Nick swore, and turned his eyes away from the wizard.  Daniel could swear her heard the mammal’s teeth grind.

 

“What did he want?” Judy asked gravely.

 

“For me to work for him.”  Silence descended on little kitchen, broken only a moment later when Daniel shifted in the wooden chair he was sitting in. “I refused.”

 

Judy swallowed past a lump forming in her throat. “Then what happened?”

 

“He gave me something, then dropped me off in front of your building.  He insinuated I needed to find you, and that’s when I heard the commotion in your place.”  Daniel gestured at the pair with his coffee mug. “I think he knew you two would be in trouble.”

 

“Speaking of” Nick began to drum his paws on the table, his claws making a ticking sound as they impacted the burnished wooden surface. “What did you mean that wasn’t a spirit?”

 

“Couldn’t have been”

 

“Why not?”

 

“For one, your threshold”

 

“What is a threshold?”   Judy was starting to really hate having to ask these questions all the time.  She needed to find a book on this stuff, or some such.

 

“It’s…sort of an energy field surrounding a home.  It protects its inhabitant’s from supernatural threats.  The only way for a supernatural being to overcome one is to be invited in.”

 

“Which is why you asked mom for permission to come in last night?”

 

“Pretty much.  The second reason is a spirit would need a portal to form.  Unless one of you summoned it, it couldn’t have been a spirit.” Daniel removed the small wooden sphere from his pocket, and held it up for the two to see. “Most likely, this thing is an extra planer being.” The two blinked at him and Daniel shrugged, “An outsider. A creature from another plane of existence.  A demon.”

 

“Do you mean to tell me” Judy swallowed “That demons are real, and our perpetrator is summoning them?”

 

“Well, yes and no.”  Daniel seesawed his paw back and forth. “Not in the way you are thinking.  There’s actually a number of entities that could meet that description.  Basically, a demon is like a spirit, but whereas a spirit is from the realm surrounding ours, a demon is from the other side.”  More stares.  “Ok, think of it this way, imagine our universe as one planet.  The spirit world is like outer space, fully enveloping our world and all the others.  Spirits are from the spirit world, and demons are from other worlds.”

 

“So, these demons are… aliens?”

 

“Pretty much.”

 

“So what’s the difference?”  Nick blew out a breath, ears flicking irritably.

 

“Well, the main thing is they have their own forms.  They still need a way through a threshold, but otherwise they are free to act just like anybody else.”  They remained silent, soaking up the information.  Daniel took that as a moment to go and refill his coffee mug.

 

“That means Fru Fru wasn’t the target of that monster.” Judy noted, letting out a huff of relief. “If she was, it wouldn’t have needed to get through the threshold.  It wouldn’t have waited.”

 

“Daniel, what is it that Prince wanted us to see?” 

 

“Daniel withdrew the envelope from his pocket, and tossed it to the table.  Nick opened it, placing its contents on the table one by one.  Images of mammals in cages passed one by one.  Innocent lives, all bundled together like boxes in a cargo truck.  The last item with a piece of paper, with an address, and a time. 

 

“My God.”  Judy breathed, noticing the time, roughly 6 hours from then, on the paper.

 

“What is going on here?” Nick mumbled, and the paused noticing something about the mammals.  Each one was a prey animal.  And each one, was terrified.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14: All Souls

Judy stared at the photographs before her, a look of revulsion evident on her lapine features.  Slavery, like most historical horrors, had been covered in her basic history courses throughout school.  In them, she had learned that mammal’s society had once been brutal.  Where mammal life wasn’t highly valued, and could be bought and sold like any other commodity on the open market.  Of course, mammals had evolved past such primitive ideologies, and since then, freedom was a guaranteed right to all mammals.  Judy had learned in her years since joining the ZPD, that such attitudes where overly simplistic and naive.  Slavery still existed, it was just hidden, and mammal trafficking was a blemish that she and her fellow officers had worked hard to eradicate.  Looking into the eyes of one frightened child, his fur dirty, and his paws clenching desperately to those of his mother, made her mouth taste of bile.  “Daniel.  What is this?”

 

“Mammal trafficking.”

 

She gave the wizard a flat look. “I know.  Why did Prince give this to you?”

 

Daniel shrugged. “There’s a couple of reasons I can think of, but only a few seem likely.” Nick started to take a drink of coffee, the sighing put the mug down again.  “First, he is clued in.  He knows what I am, and what I can do. That, plus the fact he gave them to me…”

 

“Means this is connected to the supernatural.”  Nick finished, eyes meeting Judy’s over the photographs.”

 

“Yeah.” Daniel moved to scratch at something stuck in his fur that he wasn’t sure he wanted to identify.   He checked the motion, and resolved himself to getting a shower as soon as possible.  At least he had managed a full night’s sleep.  “It could even be related to our summoner. I don’t know.”

 

“Nick, we need to do something.” Determination solidifying in her eyes, she gestured to the photographs. “These mammals need our help.”

 

Nick grimaced. “I don’t suppose we can just pass this on to the ZPD, carrots?”

 

Judy shook her head. “We can’t Nick.  What are we going to tell them?  A sorcerer is using slave labor to…what Daniel? 

The wizard sighed, and shook his head. “Not sure.  Could be that our bad guy is using them in some kind of ritual, but I can’t say for sure. Not without investigating this further.”

 

“We’ve got another problem here fluff,” he sighed, and gestured to the kitchen around him.

 

“Daniel, what are the odds that another one of those outsiders attacks here?” 

 

“It’s possible. But I don’t think it is likely.”

 

“What do you mean?” Judy turned her head, nose twitching.

 

Daniel’s tail flicked slowly back and forth, stirring the air gently behind him. “Well, consider this.   The outsider had to be summoned using a foci in order to get it past your threshold. Kind of a lot of work to get at your friends.  Would have been easier to just attack while she was on the street.”

 

“Wait.” Nick scrunched his face, ears dropping flat, “Are you saying that someone had to trigger that thing? As in, had to observe it?”

 

“Not necessarily.  A practitioner could have laid a contingency spell, sort of like setting a fuse on a bomb. But the spell would have taken some serious power to survive crossing even your all’s weakened threshold.”

 

“So what does that mean exactly?”  The doe’s eyes flicked back down to the photographs, her mouth setting into a firm line.

 

“My guess is that the outsider was sent to attack you.”  For a moment no one spoke, and they all stared down at the arrayed photos before them.  Each of the mammals portrayed wore a collar.  Not only a tool for their captivity, but a reminder to them of their place in the world.  It told each and every one of them what they were. Property. To be used, and treated as their master’s willed.

 

“Par for the course.” Nick said dryly.

 

“But it’s not, Nick.” She looked to him, and then to the wizard. “Can you guarantee that if we leave, that nothing will come to attack Nick’s mom, or Fru Fru, or Judy?

 

“Well, I mean as long as she doesn’t invite anybody in…”

 

“Can you promise us?” She interrupted, her eyes cold and serious.  “Will you swear on the lives of them all that they will be safe?”

 

Daniel’s tail stilled, and he looked away from her. “No.”

 

“Then you need to stay here Daniel.”

 

“What?”  Daniel and Nick asked, turning to look to the doe.

 

“One of us needs to stay here. Nick’s right about one thing, we need to get the ZPD involved once we are certain there’s no spooky afoot.  Daniel, you can’t be involved with that.  We might trust you, but it’s obvious the rest of the ZPD doesn’t.”

 

“What about if there’s more…you know?”  Nick waggled his fingers, a frown forming on his muzzle.

 

“Then we can fall back, and call in support.” She shrugged, matter of factly.

 

“You can’t take on a sorcerer.  If our guy is there, you guys won’t stand a chance.”  Daniel stood, looming slightly over the seated lagomorph.

 

“Who do you think our support is?” She tilted her head, a smirk on her muzzle.

 

Daniel’s muzzle formed a small O, and he stopped, then sat back down. “Ah.  Well… wait, what am I supposed to do while you two are off seeing to this?”

 

“Figure out what this all means.”  Judy gestured to the photos. “Stay here and try to put the facts together.  I’ve been told you ARE an investigator.  So do some investigating.”  Daniel grumbled to himself a moment, while Nick sniggered.  She turned to face Nick, “We need to stop this.” She pointed to the photos emphatically. “You with me partner?”

 

Nick’s smile deepened. “Always.”

 

“Hang on a second.” Daniel looked around the kitchen, eyes finally falling on a salt shaker on top of the stove.  He rose to get the shaker, and returned to the table, passing if to Judy. “Take this with you.”

 

“Of course.  Need it to as-salt our target.”

 

“Nick, that was terrible, even by your standards.” The fox merely ginned, eyes waggling.  “Daniel, why do we need salt?”  He gestured for her to wait, then left the room.  A moment later, he returned, staff in paw.  He took the salt shaker, and ever so gently, began to pour it onto the white tile floor.  He poured the salt into a thin circle, large enough for him to stand in comfortably, and then touched the circle with the tip of his staff.  Power hummed in the air, his fur starting to glow.  He extended a paw, pointing it directly at the doe, and cried, “Lucinde!”  A sharp crack rent the air, and the smell of ozone washed over them.  A bolt of lightning, no larger than a ruler arced from his paw, and struck an invisible barrier hovering in the air, mirroring the circle of salt. Judy’s ears fell, her fur standing on end.  Nick had his teeth bared in a wide grimace, which fell flat a moment later. 

 

The wizard smiled at his pawywork, and then broke the circle with his staff. “Circles play an important part in magic.  They allow energy to be focused, concentrated, and directed.  It also can contain spells if properly formed.  There’s a reason why pentacles are used as symbols for magic.”  He tossed the doe the salt shaker once again, and rested his paws on his staff. “If you see a portal like the one from the other day, draw a circle of salt around it. Then, touch it with a drop of your blood. It will work just the same, shutting off the flow of power keeping the portal open.”

 

“OK. I don’t suppose you couldn’t have just said that?”  Judy arched irritably.  A moment later, Ms. Wilde popped her head in, eyes suspicious.  Not seeing anything amiss, however, she stepped away again, muttering to herself something about bothering the neighbors.   Daniel merely smirked back at her, buffing the claws of one paw on his shirt. 

 

“So what’s the plan?”   Nick resumed drinking coffee from his mug, grimacing at the fact it was starting to cool.

 

“We need to pop by our place and get our equipment.”   She checked a clock on the wall. “We still have a few hours before the time we were given. Daniel, do you have everything you need to hold out here?”

 

“The wizard shrugged, “I would like to get a few things from my apartment.  Some clothes, and get a shower.”

 

“Write us a list, and we will get everything for you.”

 

“I need my bird.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Because,” He said, his voice taking on a thick accent. “I lyke my birrrrd.”  Judy gave him a blank expression, eyes scrunching, and nose twitching.  Beside her Nick snickered.  Her ears pivoted, and she turned to look at the fox, then back to Daniel once more, clearly lost.

 

“Carrots doesn’t go much for super hero movies.”

 

“Ah.” He said, dropping the accent. “Well, I still need the bird.  She helps.”

 

“O.K.”  She shook her head, still confused. “Write anything else down you need and we will see it brought back to you.” Daniel nodded.  Nick rose, to procure a pad of paper from a nearby drawer.  “I’ll go upstairs and fill Fru Fru in on the plan.”  She rose, stretching her leg as she did so.  It ached, but not as badly as she had expected.  Perhaps all of the abuse she had been piling on it lately was make her tougher, or perhaps she was simply getting used to the discomfort.  She attempted, once more in vain, to scratch an inch inside her caste.  The high density plastic had been scratched, but it still held sturdily.  The pocket of air on the inside though prevent any sensation, and she gritted her teeth, attempting to ignore the itch, only mildly successfully.  She moved out of the kitchen then, leaving the foxes to discuss which super hero had the greatest costume, or whichever.  She shook her head.  Were all foxes this childish, or was it just the ones she found herself interacting with?

                She made her way upstairs, the old wood creaking as she did, and she paused, to look at the photos hanging from the wall.  They portrayed Nick as a child, perhaps 4 years old, standing in front of his parents.  They were all dressed impeccably, though not overly richly.  Nick had told her his father was a tailor, and it showed in his family’s appearance.   They all looked so happy, Nick sporting a doofy grin, missing a tooth in the front of his muzzle.  A short stab of pain went through her, staring at the picture, and of the happiness that she wouldn’t find with the fox.  She had intended on telling him today.  There would be a moment she could have gotten away from Fru Fru, she had decided.  Then, alone, she could explain her feelings to the fox.  But things just kept getting in the way.   If it wasn’t sudden attacks from spiritual beings, it was trying to plan the rescue of illegally trafficked mammals.  She reached a paw out, and gingerly touched the photograph on the wall.  So much had changed, she thought morosely.  So much from that day, log ago on the bridge.  Things had made sense then.  When it was her and her partner, taking down criminals, solving cases.  Now though, nothing made sense.  She sighed, and shook her head.  There would be time enough for that later.  She needed to act.  She needed to work.  Most of all, she needed to help.  She dropped her paw the, and resumed her trip up the stairs.  Time to go to work.

 

* * *

 

 

“Chief with all due respect, what the hell do you mean he was released?”

 

McHorn’s nose flared, his eyes fixed on his commanding officer.  Bogo sat at his desk, reading glasses pitched on the end of his snout, as he looked at the rhino before him.  He noted the former’s posture, and shook his head disapprovingly. “Coleman’s lawyer had all of the paperwork in hand, and had paid his bail.  We couldn’t legally have held the fox any longer.  Which would have put the entire case at risk.”  McHorn swore, while Wolfard scratched his chin. 

 

“How did he manage to get to a judge so quickly?   That usually takes a few days, 2 at the earliest.”

 

“It would seem,” Bogo said, eyeing the rhino from the corner of his eye, “That Mr. Obonyo has … connections.”  He said the word through clenched teeth, as if the word was a bitter taste on the tip of his tongue.

 

“So what are we supposed to do now?  He was our primary witness!”  McHorn spat, temper barely in check.

 

“I expect OFFICER McHorn,” he said, eyes hardening, “For you to do your job, and investigate your crime scenes.  You acted on an anonymous tip, based on a photograph that only holds so much weight in court.  Furthermore, I hear that your method of arrest was…physical.” He paused, removing his glasses, staring McHorn in the eyes, “Perhaps overly so.”

 

“He resisted arrest.”

 

“And yet neither you nor your partner were in any way harmed, or threatened.”  He replied icily.  “You went too far, and it nearly cost you this investigation.” McHorn looked away, but kicked one of the chairs the chief had in front of his desk, sending it skidding across the room where it collided with a filing cabinet. McHorn turned his back then, shaking his head and breathing hard.

 

“Chief, we were just trying to get to the bottom of this case.”  Wolfard eyes turned to his partner, then back to the chief. 

 

“Save it Wolfard.  What I want from you is an investigation, by the book, with evidence more substantial than a photograph from an anonymous source before an arrest is made.” He cocked his head, eyeing the two. “I’m surprised you were able to get a warrant so quickly yourselves.” 

 

Wolfard swallowed nervously, not wishing to discuss the fact he had used his own contacts in the judiciary in order to expedite the warrant.  He looked back to his partner, and shrugged.

 

“Get out of my office, and get me some results.   And for God’s sake, get some more proof before you bring Coleman in a third time.”  He replaced the glasses on his snout, and glanced back to the files he was reviewing. “Dismissed.”

 

The pair made their way out of the chief’ s office, and stopped in front of a water fountain set into the wall. McHorn banged a fist on the side of its metal frame, a curse on his lips. “Damn it, we had the bastard.  We had him.”

 

Wolfard shook his head, tension working its way from his hackles. “We did.  He sure does seem to have friends in high places.”  The rhino slammed another fist into the sheet metal fountain, putting a modest dent into its side.

 

“I can’t stand this.”  He turned, looking down to his more diminutive partner. “All those mammals.  Dead.  So some prick can get rich.”

 

“We’ll get ‘em Rudolph. We just need to do a little more work.” The Rhino shook his head, and turned, eying a sign hung above the water fountain. 

 

“How did he get in contact with his lawyer?  He didn’t even make a phone call.”

 

Wolfard shrugged. “Someone had to do it for him.”

 

The rhino paused, then looked back to his partner. “Who do we know who would have known about the arrest, and has looked out for him in the past?”

 

A sinking feeling made its way into the wolf’s belly. “You’re not suggesting what I think you are?”

 

“Why not?” The Rhino gestured with his horn. “You gotta admit, they’ve got some shady connections.  I even heard the fox used to work in the underground.”

 

“Rudolph, look at what they’ve done.  They’re actions don’t yell corrupt cop to me.”  He shook his head.

 

“They’ve already covered for him once.”  He raised a finger. “And how do you think they keep getting the leads they do?”

 

“We’ve all got our sources.”  The wolf shrugged. “Doesn’t mean anything nefarious.”

 

The Rhino nodded. “Maybe. But there’s one certain way to find out.”  He reached into his pocket, and removed his phone, dialing the number posted on a flyer near the water cooler.  A few moments later, a soft feminine voice answered on the other side. “ZPD Internal Affairs, how may I direct your call?”

 

* * *

 

 

They stood before a dilapidated old building, its paint peeling in long curling strips.  A gentle rain had started to fall, one that promised a larger storm to come.  The low buzz of static electricity clung to everything, setting the pair’s sense on high alert, which made their feelings of apprehension even worse.  The wizard had assured them that they would be perfectly safe, and that his defenses had been lowered when he had been arrested yesterday afternoon.   However, he had also mentioned that he had been intoxicated at the time, and he couldn’t be absolutely certain he had gotten everything.  The fact that neither Officer’s McHorn nor Wolfard had been reported injured was little comfort when literally entering a wizard’s lair.

 

Nick scowled as he ducked under the awning, and the paltry shelter it offered them.  Nothing about this situation made him feel very good, but very little of recent had made him feel particularly good.  Likewise, he could see the tension his partner was carrying around like a lead weight.  Normally, Judy was the optimistic one.  The fact she seemed downtrodden wasn’t exactly helping his mood.  They moved into the building, and followed the directions the wizard had given them.   They finally made it to the top floor, and the single door at the end of the hallway.  The door was shut, with strips of police tape across the jamb, the words ‘Crime Scene’ emblazoned across their lengths.  Judy move her paw to the door without even acknowledging the tape.  Technically, they didn’t have authorization to go into the scene, but considering their options, Nick supposed it would be better to just hope no one saw them.   _See, that’s the power of positive thinking_.

 

Judy took a deep breath, then moved the door open.  It shrieked and groaned as it opened, warped hinges protesting the treatment.  The door opened to a flight of wooden stairs that lead up into a small apartment.  Nick whistled as he made his way up the stairs and took in everything.  “I thought our place was a mess.”

 

Judy gave the fox a sidelong glance. “Those in glass houses…” 

 

Nick grunted, acknowledging the point. “Let’s get started.  Should we get the bird first, or wait till the end?”  He looked around, spotting the bird cage.  He went to it, and peered inside. It was empty.  “Looks like it must have escaped.”  Reaching inside the opened door, he removed an empty container of grain alcohol. “Does he actually feed it this stuff?”  Judy narrowed her eyes, then shook her head.  She consulted the list of ingredients he had requested, and moved towards the small desk he kept in the corner.  Humming to herself, she began sorting through a variety of containers, trying to match the ingredients listed on the pad of paper from Mrs. Wilde’s kitchen.  Nick ambled over to give her a hand, and they spent a few moments working in silence.

 

“Did he say why he needed this stuff?” Nick picked up a plastic film canister that had the rather worrying label, ‘essence of fear.’

 

“He said it was for Thaumalurgy…whatever that is.”

 

“Thaumaturgy.” Came a matronly voice from the rafters.  The pair stopped, and looked up to one of the most bizarre sights they had ever seen.  Perched on one of several exposed rafters was a colorful parrot, ranging from deep green along its body, to a vibrant blue on its head.  It was precariously balanced, aided by the occasional flap of its wings, as it was standing on one foot.  In the other, was clenched one of the largest handguns Nick had ever seen. The fox swallowed past a lump that had quickly formed in his throat.  “I don’t suppose you would like to tell me what you are doing in my home, and what has happened to Daniel?”  The parrot spoke in the kind of voice typically associated with pleasant old ladies baking cookies, and serving you lemonade. 

 

“I’m sorry…  are you Eva?”  Judy asked, not daring to move a muscle.  Daniel had told them the parrot could be difficult.  This wasn’t exactly what she had in mind however.

 

“The fact you know that name tells me you know him.  I take it he’s in trouble, or else you two wouldn’t be here?”  Eva kept the gun levelled at the two, though she spoked as nonchalantly as if they were merely discussing the weather.

 

“That’s an understatement.”  Nick chimed in, the held up the small plastic canister. “Don’t suppose you can point that thing somewhere else?”

 

The parrot titled her head in an avian manner, and then place the gun down on the rafters. “You the cops he’s been working with?” The pair nodded, and Eva clucked to herself. “Never thought I’d see the like.” 

 

Judy narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Not every day you see a bunny and a fox together.  Much less ones that are cops.”

 

“Not every day you meet a parrot holding a gun while having a conversation.” Nick noted, tail flicking agitatedly.

 

“Ah yes, but you see, I am exceptional.”  Eva gestured with a foot to Judy. “Put that down.  Drop it and you’ll melt a hole through the floor.”  Judy froze, lowering the glass bottle of brackish fluid she was lifting off the desk gently. 

 

“I don’t suppose you could…uh…help us with this?”  Judy waggled her pad of paper in the direction of the parrot. 

 

“Sure thing sweetheart.”   The parrot flew down, landing on Judy’s shoulder.  The doe jumped a little at the contact, but didn’t object.   Eva looked over the list clucking her tongue. “Looks like some typical warding magic.  Here, put those bottle back, and we’ll add a few more things to this list of his. 

 

“Oh.” Her ears fell. “Um.  Were they the wrong thing?”

 

“Yes… well no.  You did everything fine sweetie.  It’s just, well, Daniel is a bit of an idiot.”  Nick sniggered, and Eva turned to look at him, cocking an eyebrow. “It’s not his fault really.  He does try so very hard, bless his heart.”  Nick laughed again, then watched as the two gathered the items on the list, Eva occasionally amending Daniel’s list as they went along.  Before long, they had everything on their list, including a change of clothes, with Eva opting to ride on Judy’s shoulder. They headed back to Nick’s moms, just as the rain really started to pick up, and thunder rent the air. 


	15. Day Dreams

 

 

“You have got to be kidding me.”  Nick stood in front of the sign, reading its fading letters with an apparent air of consternation.

 

Judy looked to the fox, and back to the sign, confirming once more that the address listed on its side matched that which they had gotten from Daniel.  “I suppose there’s a reason for stereotypes.”

 

“Come on fluff, there’s no way this actually happens.”  He turned, slipping his aviators into the pocket of the green button up shirt he wore.  It was similar to the one he had worn when they had first met, though perhaps a few shades more muted.  “I mean, is there some sort of quota that bad guys have to all meet. I mean come one.”

 

Cloudy Heights Sanatorium had once been a stalwart citadel in the battles against infectious disease.  Situated in the mountains surrounding the rainforest district, it jutted defiantly up from the heights, giving its residents a spectacular view that many, at the time, had thought would help recovering patients.  Of course, patients rarely actually recovered from such diseases, but the effort had been there to keep up morale regardless.  Over time, newer institutions had been developed, and the sanatorium had fallen into disrepair.   For 75 years, the hospital had stood abandoned and brooding, its stony exterior slowly decaying.  Now, its exterior appeared malicious and harsh.  Its jutting walls fallen in places, causing the wind to howl ominously on certain nights.  Rumor had started that the building was haunted by the patients whom had never left the hospital alive.  As a rational mammal, Nick had always attributed such tales to the jittery imaginations of easily startled mammals.  Nick was starting to question whether he actually knew anything about the world.

 

Judy hummed, as she placed the piece of paper, folded, into the pocket of her jeans.  Like Nick, she wore a button up shirt, but encircling her hips was the utility belt from her police uniform.  The pair had popped by their apartment on the way, which had proved to be surprisingly uneventful.  No one had so much as reported a disturbance.  Daniel had explained that certain creatures from beyond the spirit world could use enchantments to hide themselves.   They could even use their illusions to influence the minds of mammals. When Judy had asked about the poison, and her apparent death, Daniel had assured her that she and Nick could see through such things if they were aware of it. “Illusions are damned tricky to get right.  If one tiny detail isn’t correct, the whole illusion can fail.  That thing was using your fears against you, making them seem real.  You were tired, wounded, and naturally very …very afraid.  It’s sort of what phobophage’s do.  As long as you are rested, and watching out for it, they shouldn’t be able to trick you again.”  Judy muttered under her breath. “Nothing to fear, but fear itself.”

 

“Mmm?”  Nick turned, pulled from his own train of thought.  He had been pondering how it was that such villains managed to be taken seriously.  He saw Judy, nose twitching and ears down, lost in her own train of thought.  He wasn’t a fool.   He saw how she had been acting around him lately.  Jumpier, and less likely to respond to his wiseassery with quips of her own.  Something was bothering her, but she wasn’t talking about it.  That was unusual, but given the plethora of life changes occurring around them, he supposed it would be churlish for him to demand answers.  Still, the divide hurt, and he felt his cheeks flush with irritation.  It was fortunate his fur prevented such tells from being obvious. “What did you say?”

 

She shook her head. “Nothing, we just need to get a move on.”  The fox looked skeptically at her, but said nothing.  Instead, he pushed the gate open, and started up the stone path leading to the buildings front doors.  For once, Judy allowed the fox to take point, as she scanned the area around her.   The building was by all definitions a decrepit husk, but as they entered, they discovered the exterior was slightly misleading.  While the building was still, lacking the life most buildings had, with the hum of people moving about, and the sound of climate control units, it seemed to contain a malicious presence.  As if the building itself were some great beast, waiting quietly with its jaws open, as it waited for its prey to walk blithely inside.  The room was similar to many other hospitals, with the remains of a receptionist’s desk up front, and various spaces that may have once held seating for mammals waiting to get inside.  Nick looked back to his partner, and gestured, asking her if she wanted to take the lead.  She nodded, and moved forward, her loping gait made some what less steady from her injured leg.  She inwardly groaned, exasperated.  _When will this stupid thing heal?_   She could almost hear the response her mother would have given.  _Probably heal faster if you quit running on it.  Not like I had a choice._   She responded inwardly, then grimaced.  It she was really having conversations with herself, it probably wasn’t a good sign.  _More good news, yay._

The pair moved around the bend of a hallway, and proceeded past rooms whose function had long been lost due to decay.  They proceeded down flights of steps, entering deeper into the building and eventually Judy had to remove a small flashlight from her belt, turning it on.  She had finally acquiesced to using one when her phone’s battery had died one too many times on patrol.  The small metal cylinder cast a gentle white circle of incandescence on the walls, illuminating the building just enough for the doe to see.  Nick followed behind, able to see fairly well without the need of such accoutrements. 

Despite his earlier quips, the atmosphere was starting to weigh on him.  It was oppressive, and making his paranoia flare uncomfortably.  He jump suddenly at the sound of a door slamming down the hall, and moved to grab his pistol.  A smaller, grey furred paw grabbed his wrist, and when he looked up, he saw the doe shaking her head. She gestured to a door father down the hall.  A window, whose frame was completely devoid of glass, stood at the end of the hallway, allowing in a fair amount of sunlight that stung the vulpine’s sensitive eyes.  The door moved again, the air rushing in through the window causing it to move back and forth erratically.  He turned back to see her smirking at him, her eyebrow’s raised.   He scowled at her, but that only elicited a wider grin, and a shake of the doe’s head.  _Well that’s something at least._ He smiled, attempting to hold his scowl and failing miserably.

 

The pair continued from room to room, until at last they came upon a set of double doors.  Unlike most of the rooms thus far, this room’s purpose was imminently apparent, as it was spelled out in faded black letters above the frame.  “Surgery” Likewise, from within, several sounds warred for their attention.  The first, was the panicked sound of several mammals, though they weren’t completely sure of the breeds.  Second, was the low growls and grunts of a predator, straining against something in a panic.  Lastly, a hissing voice, undulating from a low basso, to a high warble.  The voice spoke in a language, totally foreign to them, and as they listened, it quit suddenly, stopped.  A sound, like that of a giant piece of fabric tearing, ripped through the air, and was immediately followed by a high pitched, tinny roar.

 

* * *

 

 

_Veils_

_~Sure, magic can be used for a lot of different things.  Some practitioners even go so far as to call it a tool.   And means to an end. Magic is so much more than that.  It is an art, requiring patience, focus, and an unwavering dedication to master it.  In truth, it is that dedication, and love for the art, that separates the heavy weights, from the wannabes.   Of course, some practitioners love the art, because of the power it gives them over others.  The use of veils, is one of the many things those kind of practitioners love to rely on.  Oh sure, magic can be used to brute force your way through a lot of problems, but the real mastery is in applying the art subtly. Using it in a way that isn’t obvious.  Illusionary magic always works best when the target isn’t even aware of its application.  All sorts of spiritual beings likewise rely on the use of veils.  Either to hide themselves, or to convince others of their strength and power.  It is the ultimate camouflage, making the victim a willing participant in its own destruction.~_

 

* * *

 

 

Daniel opened his jaws, allowing the flood of warm water into his muzzle in a gushing cascade.  The pressure was blistering, making the vulpine feel as if he was being sand blasted from the spray.  He reveled in the sensation, letting out an almost sexual groan. _Stars and stones, what I wouldn’t give for modern plumbing._   Spitting the water out, he ran his tongue once more over the flattened tooth he had earned while being arrested the day before.  He would need to have it looked at.  Hopefully it would be fine to leave alone.  Fortunately, it didn’t really hurt, though from his experience, that didn’t speak much to the severity of the damage. Daniel reached for a bottle of fur shampoo set onto the side of the shower caddy, hanging from the shower head, and gave it an experimentory sniff.  It was soft and feminine, with the faint smell of honey suckle.   He frowned, debating on whether to just forgo the shampoo and rely on the water to get him satisfactorily clean.  He sighed, admitting to himself that he reeked, and wished fruitlessly that either Nick or Judy had grabbed some of his more masculine toiletries.  He started working the shampoo into his fur, paying special attention to the areas along his bruised right side.  The warm water soaked into his fur, easing soreness from aching muscles, and beating the knots into submission.  Once done, he rang his digits through his fur, working out any bits of filth that stubbornly clung to him.  After a moment, satisfied that he was clean, he shut off the shower, and began to ring the water from his fur.  Giving himself one last shake, he proceeded to collect the loose fur that had gathered on the drain catch, and otherwise picked up after himself. 

                In the super natural world, the relationship between host and guest was practically held to the regard of a religious pact.  It was the duty of a host to provide their guest with protection, shelter and sustenance.  In return, it was the duty of a guest to be mindful, polite, and obey the rules of the household.  It was an old trick in the supernatural world to get one’s self invited as a guest in dangerous situations, relying on that age old institution for protection.  Of course, one could always be double crossed if one wasn’t careful.  Supernatural institutions tended to be heavily dependent on the letter of the agreement.  A host would be held blameless, if for instance, their guest accidentally consumed something that was poisoned, left lying around their guest’s home.  Plausible deniability was practically sacrosanct.  While Daniel had nothing to fear, he was certain, from Mrs. Wilde, it was still a matter of principal.  Besides, it was the polite thing to do. 

                Finishing in the bathroom, Daniel emerged once more onto the landing at the top of the stairs, clean, wearing fresh clothes, and smelling lightly of honeysuckle.

 

“Took you long enough.” Came Eva’s matronly voice.  She perched on top the railing leading down stairs, giving him a critical eye.  “Thought you were going to drown in there.”

 

Daniel sighed once more in pleasure, looking fondly over his shoulder to the bathroom.   “Can’t fault a guy for enjoying modern conveniences.”  Eva flew over to his shoulder, landing with a flutter of wings atop his left shoulder.  She hunkered down, beak inches from his freshly brushed fur. “What?”

 

“You smell…pleasant.”  Daniel scowled at the parrot, who twisted her head in an avian way.  “I am serious, it’s a pleasant change.”

 

“Eva.”

 

“You could use a woman in your life you know.  Someone to take off your rough edges.”  Eva’s head twisted the other way. “Olivia’s single. And she let you use her bathroom.”

 

“The subject. Change it.”  Daniel’s cold blue stare bore into the parrot’s eyes, and she gulped.

 

“Of course dear.”   She edged farther down Daniel’s arms, wings out as if about to take flight. “Ready to get to work?”

 

“In a second.”  Daniel stared for a moment, longer, then turned his head back to the hallway. “I want to double check my messages first.”

“Right.  Messages. Lots of those I am sure.”  Daniel turned once more to Eva, muttering under his breath.  Eva picked at something under a wing, averting her whole head as she did so.  Grumbling, Daniel made his way down the stairs, and poked his head into the kitchen.  Not finding Olivia there, he proceeded into the living room, where he found the vixen, watching television and putting together a jigsaw puzzle.  The TV was on commercial break, something about a Gazelle concert taking place to commemorate the 5th anniversary of her unity concert.   He turned his back from it, and cleared his throat lightly.

 

“Ms. Wilde.”

 

“Yes, Mr. Coleman.”

 

“I am finished with your shower. I was wondering if I could borrow your phone for a few moments.”  The vixen didn’t even look up from her puzzle.  She merely gestured to the phone in the corner of the room.  “Help yourself.”

 

“Thank you.”  As he crossed the room, he felt Eva’s weight leave his shoulder, as she winged her way over to the small table on which Olivia was working her puzzle.  Eva stared at the work, and hopped a few times of a piece.  She picked it up in her beak, then made her way over to the edge of the puzzle, dropping a piece into place.  A smile worked its way onto the vixen’s muzzle, but she said nothing.  The two worked in companionable silence, and Daniel scowled once more.  He reached for the phone, and dialed his answering service.  Daniel’s scowl deepened as retrieved the first two messages in his cue.  The first was from his landlord, informing him of the damages to his apartment he would need to pay for, or else face eviction.  The second, was a question as to whether he performed at birthday parties, and whether he was free, two Thursdays from now.  The last, however, peaked his interest. 

“Hello, this is Mr. Roho, calling for Mr. Coleman.  I wanted to touch base with you to see what you have discovered about Mr. O’Hare.  Please call me at your earliest convenience.” 

 

With all of the excitement recently, he had nearly forgotten he had completed the job that initially set this whole thing off.  While the news was far from good, it would provide some closure to the lion’s life, and if nothing else, it would close that part of the case.  It would also insure Daniel could pay for the damages the ZPD had inflicted on his home during his arrest.  Daniel made the call, and waited as the phone rang. 

 

“Hello?” Roho’s voice was rich and deep.  The kind one often associated with politicians, and CEOs.

 

“Mr. Roho. This is Daniel Coleman.”

“Ah Mr. Coleman.” Static popped over the line, and Daniel tried to remain calm.    Magic had a habit of distorting phone signals, and emotion made it worse.  Daniel hated it, but he had to be the one to tell the lion. “I see you received my message from the other day.”

 

“Yes Mr. Roho.  I apologize for the delay.  I have been busy with your case, and have only now gotten the chance to return your call.”

 

“Not to worry.  Have you found anything?”

 

“I am afraid so.”  Daniel fidgeted with the phone cord, and turned to face the corner, hovering over the small table the phone sat on.  It actually sat on an honest to God doily.  “He was murdered.”  There was silence on the other end of the phone line, and once more, the line buzzed with interference.

 

“Oh God, Robert.  What happened?”

 

“I can’t rightly say.” Daniel lied, once more trying to calm his emotions. “The ZPD is currently investigating his cause of death.  His body was found in the warehouse that burned down the other day.”

 

“I heard about that.  Do you think Robert was involved in anything illegal?  I don’t mean to sound callous, but if Robert was involved in anything nefarious, it would be bad for our business.”

 

“I don’t think so.”  The buzzing got worse, and Daniel clenched his paw in frustration.  “All signs look like he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He didn’t add that he had been hunted and partially devoured by a supernatural predator.

 

“That poor mammal.  Thank you Mr. Coleman, for seeing to this.   Where should I send your payment?” 

 

Daniel pondered that for a moment.   Considering his need for money, the best thing would be to have it sent to Olivia’s house.  Something gnawed at him though, and he instead said, “Wire it to my office.  The address should be listed on the card I gave you when we met the other day.”

 

“Of course.  Thank you again Mr. Coleman.”  The phone cut off, and Daniel frowned, placing the handset back onto the receiver.  He wasn’t sure why, but something seemed off.  Puzzling, he turned, to see the program Olivia and Eva were watching.  Larry Howler was a talk show host, popular with geriatrics around Zootopia.  He hosted all manner of unlikely characters, discussing everything from parental custody, to occasional forays into the supernatural world.  Daniel had a long history with the man, and it seemed Olivia was watching reruns of the program from several years before.  On camera, he saw himself, looking irritable and frustrated.  In front of him, emblazoned in solid white letters was, “Daniel Coleman, private investigator or conman?” Olivia was looking at him, an amused expression on her face.  “Well, Mr. Coleman.” She placed a piece into the very middle of the puzzle, emerald eyes sparkling.  “Which is it?”

 

* * *

 

 

Judy froze, a sudden and overwhelming sense of panic rising like bile in her throat.  That sound stirred something deep in her.  A fear, born of desperation and a will to survive.  It was primitive and visceral, and the sudden on rush of those of emotions nearly stole her breath.  She turned to Nick, seeing his eyes wide, pupils dilated, as his nose flared.  Then, she heard the cries.  Terror, hopelessness, and panic were in equal measure as those voices cried out.  It hardened her resolve, and she moved her paw to open the door.  Nick’s paw shot out to grab hers. “Carrots.  Don’t.”  She ignored him.  That sound had ignited something else inside of her, born of frustration and feelings of inadequacy.  She was tired of seeing innocent mammals hurt, and by God, she was going to do something about it.   She opened the door, as quietly as possible, and stole into the room, her flustered partner following behind her.

The doors opened onto a dais, surrounding a smaller chamber below, in a sort of old world amphitheater.  Rows upon rows of seats surrounded the smaller room, in which a gaggle of animals, bound and collared, pressed against a set of double doors set in the northern most wall.  In the center of the room was an old, stainless steel table, upon which was bound a black bear.  Hovering, perhaps four feet above the floor, adjacent to the table, was another portal.  Below that, was one of the creatures that had attacked them in their apartment just the night before.  It was grinning, a sense of sardonic glee prevalent in its posture, as it slowly made its way to the chained predator.

                There was no sign of the sorcerer, so Judy pressed on, moving toward the edge of the amphitheater, cordoned off by a three foot, concrete wall.  She pressed herself against it and raised her head in order to scan the room below.  Nick followed suite and dropped the duffle he had been carrying, opening it in a hurried motion.  His paws shook, and it took him a few moments to completely unzip the bag.  After a moment, he withdrew a tactical shotgun, holding it with one paw from its pistol grip as he worked the action, checking the chamber for rounds.

 

“What’s the plan?” 

 

Judy scanned the room once more, failing to locate any mammal that appeared to be their sorcerer.  “I think the sorcerer is gone.”

 

“Maybe he didn’t want to stick around with that thing.”  He gestured to the demon, creeping closer to the bear.  The bear was straining even harder at the chains, a high whimper escaping his muzzle as he did so. But he lacked the proper leverage to snap one of the links, his strength wasted. 

 

“Maybe.” She said, lost in thought.  “If we can just get down there.”  Nick sighed, but nodded his assent.  She turned to him, eyes twinkling. “Why don’t you show me what those new shells you bought can do?”

 

“Oh sure, and while I’m doing that, what are you going to be doing?”  Judy cocked an eyebrow, and pulled the salt shaker from her pocket.  She shook the salt and grinned.  The pair turned from each other, as the demon let out its roar once again, and the feeling of dread that emanated from beneath them was almost tactile.  They could feel the emotions on the air, like how one could feel the sound at a rock concert.  It pressed on them and threatened to catch them up in the emotions themselves.  Pushing the feelings down, Nick hopped down to the floor below, placing himself between the creature and the mammals cowering in the corner and said, “Hi honey. You miss me?” 

               

                Nick triggered the first shell in the shotgun, standard buckshot and missed the creature completely.  Instead if spattering the monster into a fine paste, he shattered a window behind the creature, showering the floor around it, and the metal table with broken glass.   The creature hissed out its hideous laugh and advanced towards Nick, stalking him.  He grimaced, and took much more careful aim with the second shot.   Letting out a breath, he lined up the iron sights on the creature, just as it made its move.  Much more quickly than even the fox had thought possible, the creature dashed forward and leapt toward him, pincers wide to strike his arms.  Nick dropped the butt of the shotgun from his shoulder, pitching the barrel up to track the creature mid-flight.  It would be a hip shot, but he planned on giving himself the best chance possible of striking the creature.  Just as it was about to grab him, he triggered the second shell.  Magnesium burned as he triggered the shell, and a fifty foot jet of flame roared out the front of the barrel, blasting the demon back into the wall, and immolating it.  Flames flared off the sides of the concrete walls, blackening them with a fine soot.  Stunned, the creature writhed, as flames ate hungrily of the spirit creature’s flesh.  “Judy?”  He barked, and pumped another Dragon’s Breath shell into his weapon. 

 

                Judy moved towards the portal, and lowered herself carefully from the upper level.  She grimaced as she landed, but cushioned her fall as best she could, rolling with the impact.  She looked side to side, and moved towards the portal, ripping the top off the salt shaker as she went.   From the corner of her eye, she saw Nick pump another shell into the creature, the flames lighting the room with a brilliant incandescence.   A chemical smell, as well as something rotten filled the air as the creature burned.  She started toward the portal, and felt the temperature in the room drop.   As she drew nearer, her sense of foreboding increased.   She felt terrified, as if the smartest thing for her to do was to run and hide.  It made her blood sing, as adrenaline, and the will to survive flooded through her senses.  She felt them sharpen, and the fear she had felt from the animals in the room intensified ten-fold.  She could smell their horror, could hear the beat of their hearts, as if it were a wild chorus, unified in their collective desire to flee.  She clenched her jaw, and started drawing the circle.   A long hooked claw emerged from the portal, as she heard the loud battle roar of a Mara echo as if from some far distance.  It struck at her, but he dodged effortlessly.  “Nick, we’ve got a problem!”

 

Nick turned his attention briefly from the creature he was par broiling, to see Judy working to complete the circle.  “Carrots, I’m a little busy putting this one down.”  He fired once more, shielding his eyes from the burning magnesium as he did so.  The white concrete amplified the light, and despite his best efforts, the light stabbed at his eyes painfully.  The heat was radiating off the gun, and he knew he had maybe one more shot before the barrel would warp to the point the gun wouldn’t fire.  “Hurry it up fluff.”

 

“Nick, I am trying!”  She made her final turn, and neatly avoided being skewered by the Mara’s hooked claw.  Completing the circle, she reached for the pocket knife she carried in order to seal the circle with a drop of blood.  The Mara lashed out, and Judy was forced to roll in order to avoid the blow.  Her arm impacted the table, sending a bone deep agony from her already injured arm.   She screamed, and the knife flew from her arm, skating underneath another table.  She turned, and saw the creature’s head emerge from the portal.  Time, and familiarity had done nothing to soften the terror she felt at the creature’s image.  It opened its fanged maw in a wide snarl and let out a roar that nearly caused her heart to skip a beat.

 

Nick turned at Judy’s scream, and saw the creature starting to emerge from the portal.  He snarled, feeling a sudden hatred emerge deep in his heart.  He pumped another shell into the gun, consequences be damned.  He fired at the Mara, dousing it in flame.  He fired again.  And again.   And again, his paws nearly blistering from the heat, visibly radiating off the barrel.  Still he advanced, pulling the trigger once again.  The gun clicked, no gout of flame erupting from its barrel.  He tried again, and once more, the gun refused to fire.  He snarled, and threw the gun to the ground, unsheathing his claws, a feral grin spreading across his features.  This was living, to hunt, to fight, to win.  He crouched down, his blood singing, as he prepared to leap onto his foe, and rip the life from it.

 

Judy pawed at the ground, trying to find something to use in order to seal the circle.  She felt, more than heard the shotgun blasts, and she was starting to panic.  _No, you’ve got to run.  You’ve got to hide._   Her nose twitched, and the fear threatened to overwhelm her.  She placed her paws beneath her, scooting backwards on her rump from the portal.  She yelped, as she felt a sharp tug on her left front paw.  She brought it to her eyes, and saw a shard of glass sticking from it, blood welling from the wound.  Blood?  There was something… she remembered.  She dove, letting her blood fall on the circle of salt.  With a snap of air, the portal slammed shut, drenching the floor beneath in gobs of translucent ectoplasm.   She sat breathing hard, in the suddenly still air.  The temperature slowly beginning to rise, and then suddenly, she was lying flat again, a heavy presence upon her.  Nick was there, mouth pressed to hers, frenzied and needy.  Heat flushed through her, and she melted to him, feeling passion overwhelm her senses.  Then, as if a bubble burst, they froze, and broke the kiss.  Breathing hard, they stared at each other, then looked away, suddenly very uncomfortable. 

 

“Hmm, you ok?”  Nick asked, scratching the back of his head.

 

“Uhhh, yeah.” She cocked her head, then looked aside.  “Oh, yeah, um, the blood.  It’s a small cut.”

 

“Good.  Yes.” Nick stood, dusting himself off. “I’ll umm, go check things.  Yeah?”

 

“Yes.  Things.  Good.”  Judy continued to breathe hard as she tried to get her emotions under control.  She busied herself by calming the mammals chained in the corner.  After fifteen minutes, they were sitting quietly, and the ZPD were on their way. Tired, Judy and Nick sat side by side, both dreading what the chief would say once he discovered they had been involved in more police work.   Still, as they looked over the mammals they had saved, it had been worth it.  She pitched her head back, and thought of how she had always dreamed of being a police officer.  At least today, she had made a difference.  For these mammals at least, the world would be a better place.


	16. Chapter 16: Quiet Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. First, allow me to apologize for taking so long getting this chapter up. I am going though a pretty big life change right now, as I am in the process of switching careers. This is eating up a great deal of my free time, so chapters may be slow to come out in the coming months. As always, thank you for taking the time to read. I really appreciate your kind comments. Thanks for being patient with me.

 

Daniel sighed, rubbing the bridge of his muzzle between two fingers as he remembered those days.  When he had been young, he had chaffed at the limitations placed on him by his superiors.  While maintaining the fiction, that the supernatural world and its denizens didn’t exist had its advantages, Daniel hadn’t fully understood them.  He had flaunted his power in those early days, not hiding what he was, or what he could do with his talents.  While his clients had always been happy about the results, his assertions that he had done so with the help of magic, had been politely ignored.  Clients began to call less frequently, and his business had suffered.  Only the truly desperate would call, and despite his efforts and successes, he hadn’t changed public opinion.  His last attempt to do so had ended in disaster.

 

“I presume you’ve seen this episode before.” Daniel asked, lowering his paw to nest it in the other in front of him.

 

“Once or twice.  Not much on during the day.”  Eyes serious, the Vixen turned her body towards the wizard.  She held her paws in her lap, a gentle posture, quiet and unassuming. 

 

While Mrs. Wilde was far from the most intimidating thing he had encountered in his life, he never the less got the impression that how he answered her questions would have grave consequences. He swallowed despite himself.  He knew how the rest of the episode would play out.

 

The call had come around 2pm, asking him if he would be interested in coming on the show.   Daniel didn’t own a TV, what with the havoc a practitioner could make on electrical equipment.  Still, he once had, and understood how widespread the audiences of such programs could be.  He hadn’t really known what he had been in for.   Furthermore, it had been a low point in his career, and the studio was promising to pay more than triple his usual fees for the appearance.  He had come to the studio, dressed in his best, and planning on making it clear that the supernatural was real.  Naiveté is a hell of a drug.

 

He had assumed he would be the only guest, but apparently he had been a part of a panel.  Several different mammals, all claiming to have powers, were on display.  It was a freak show.   Along with the mediums, and spiritual healers, he had been asked to perform his craft for the audience.  The others were able to awe the crowd with parlor tricks, pulling cards in order to converse with deceased loved ones, that sort of thing.  Daniel hadn’t.  Despite the fact he was being lumped with the rest, he had still believed he could make a difference.  He had opened a portal, to show the world once and for all that there were beings beyond this world.   Apparently, tearing a hole in the fabric of reality, live on T.V. had taken more mystical might that he had bargained for.  While he had managed a small portal, the effect of so much power, with so many lights, and other electronic devices, had been, in a word, disastrous.  The fire hadn’t been too bad.  Everyone got out of the building just fine, and the only studio to fully catch was Larry Howler’s.  Daniel still remember the old grey wolf, running out the back exit, tail tucked as he dodged through the panicked crowd.  It had made a wonderful episode. However, he never did get paid for it.   Truth be told, it had started a series of lawsuits, involving the use of “undisclosed pyrotechnics.”  Embittered, and disillusioned, Daniel had stopped his efforts in attempting to inform the population.

 

“I’m not exactly sure how you expect me to answer.”  Olivia raised an eyebrow at that. “Consider this.”  He moved to sit down on a chair, its fabric faded but comfortable, and faced the vixen.  “What would you say if I told you I was a fraud?” 

 

“I would ask you, politely, to leave my home, and never speak to my son again.”  She stated, matter of factly.

 

“And it I told you that I wasn’t?”

 

“I would find that hard to believe.” 

 

Daniel let out a snort of laughter.  “Not many folks answer so bluntly miss.”

 

“Not many folks claim to be a wizard on national television.”

 

“True enough.”  He looked to Eva, who had gone unusually still on her perch.  He raised an eyebrow to her, inviting her to participate in the conversation.  Instead, the parrot tucked her head under a wing, nibbling at her feathers with her beak. _Coward._

 

“Look, Mr. Coleman.”  She sighed and sat up straighter in her seat.  “I don’t really care what you pretend to be.  I care about my boy.  He is the only family I have left.  I assume.” She gestured to him, and noting his second hand clothing, “That you have some experience with hard times.”  Daniel nodded, saying nothing. “My Nicky and I have had our fair share of it.  More than fair.  Do you know what it is like to lose someone?  A partner? Someone you banked on sharing a long life with?”  Daniel swallowed.  _Oh did he._ He nodded. “I lost my partner.  My friend and confidant.   My world was shattered.  But I have Nicky.  He’s finally gotten his life together, and while I cannot understand for the life of me why, he has chosen to share it with that rabbit.  His life is dangerous, but he is happy.  I trust that he won’t take any unnecessary risks, but he is still in danger.  Since you’ve come around.” She pointed a finger at his chest, eyes turning hard. “He’s faced more danger in the last 3 days than he has in his 3 years on the service.  I don’t know if you are the cause of it.  I need you to understand, that if I lose my Nicky, and it is because of you.”  Her eyes finished her sentence for her.   She stared at Daniel for a moment, until he nodded, looking away before a soul gaze could begin.  Shame wasn’t a new emotion for the wizard. 

 

“Mrs. Wilde.”  He smoothed a wrinkle on his shirt, but didn’t dare to look the vixen in the eye. “Your son is involved with something very dangerous.  He is capable, and determined, but he doesn’t know the whole picture.  I am trying to help him, and his partner, to understand what they are up against.  They are good mammals.”  _Fuck it_ , he thought, and stared into those lovely, green eyes. “I won’t let him suffer for it, if I can help it.”  A moment, and then he turned away once more, eyes turning back to the television.  She sighed, and then slowly rose.  “Then Mister Coleman, can I interest you in some tea?”

 

“Yes, thank you.”  Daniel watched the vixen make her way to the kitchen, where she began working to brew the tea.  For years, she had survived as a single mother, in a city that considered all of her species deceptive conmammals. Despite it all, she had loved her son, and raised him the best she could.  The streets were not kind, and many mammals in a similar situation wouldn’t live to see their 20th year.  She had persevered, and done so with grace and dignity.   Her home, and her love, was a testament to that.  And despite it all, despite the loss and the heartache, and the struggle, she still held her composure when she was worried to death about her son.  “That is one tough lady.” 

 

Eva stirred, and peaked out from behind her wing, and winked at the wizard.  He scowled at the parrot, pointing at her. “Lot a help you were.”

 

“You had the whole thing under control, boss.”

 

“Uh huh.  Don’t we have some work to be doing?   Psychotic sorcerer to find?”

 

“Sure. Ready when you are.”  The parrot put one more piece of the puzzle in. “Where do you want to start?” 

 

The kettle began to whistle, as Daniel pondered the next step they needed to take.  He looked once more to the television, seeing an old goat, decked in silks, gazing into a crystal ball set on a folding card table in the studio.  “First step, we find out what this two bit sorcerer is up to.”

 

“And second?”

 

“We end this.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Nick sat in his usual spot besides his partner, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.  It had been a long day, and the wait wasn’t making it any shorter.  A clock ticked somewhere beyond his line of sight, reminding him of each moment he was forced to sit in awkward silence.  Judy had tried to break it several times, but had been silenced each time, until she gave up.  They were battered, and bruised.  Covered in dust from the old asylum, and more than a little hungry.  Altogether, it would have been a miserable day, if not for the fact they had uncovered a massive shipment of trafficked mammals, who were even now being cared for, provided with food, and comfort.  The same could not be said about their rescuers.

 

Chief Bogo stared at the two, fuming about something.  Judy assumed he was sore about her and Nick, once more, going beyond their purview.  In truth, they had technically broken an order by Bogo so stay off any police work, but she doubted that was what was eating at him.  While he would have yelled at them, and possibility assigned them to parking duty for their insubordination, it wasn’t like him to sit and fume.  The fact was though that she and Nick had done something great, and even if Bogo didn’t like their methods, he couldn’t be upset about the results.

 

Bogo stirred, and sighed deeply, which for many might have been a disarming gesture.  To Nick and Judy, though, it was alarming.  Bogo was deflated, a serious, sad expression on his muzzle. “Do you two know what you have put me through today?”  He said, voice just above a whisper. Nick shrugged, but remained silent.  “I told you two to go home.  To take some time off.  To stay out of anything else.” 

 

“Sir, we couldn’t have sat back and let those mammals suffer.”  Judy winced, but stood on the chair so she would be closer to the chief’s level. “I know you told us to stay out, but what should we have done?”

 

“Called the ZPD.”  He said, flatly.

 

“Chief.  We ARE the ZPD.”  Her paws raised as she spoke, exasperation in her posture.

 

“There are things going on you two don’t know about.”  The chief straightened, the light from the blinds behind his desk framing him in golden incandescence. “You don’t know it, but you’ve put yourselves into hot water.”

“Sorry about that sir.   Didn’t mean to do are jobs so well, I promise we won’t let it happen again.”  The light flashed silver off the fox’s aviators. 

 

Surprisingly, the chief didn’t reprimand him.  Instead, he shook his head sadly, and frowned. “You are more right than you know.”  He reached into his desk, and removed a bottle of something that Judy was certain was against regulations.  He removed a small silver cup, and poured some of the liquid into it.  He took a drink, and swallowed, closing his eyes as he did so.   After a few moments, he opened them, and slid the cup over to the pair.  “Your actions have made you some enemies in city hall.”  Nick snorted, but took the cup in two paws, feeling like a toddler.  The cup was far too large for him, and with the liquid, it was like taking a shot from a stock pot.  Still, he managed to take a sip without dousing himself.  A smooth, peaty scotch slid down his throat, spreading warmth through his chest as it went. Nick gestured to the doe besides him, asking if she wanted any.  She pursed her lips, and shook her head in the negative.  “That whole incident with the Deputy Mayor, and some of the arrests you have made since.”

 

“Why should that matter?  We didn’t break any rules right?” Judy wrapped her arms around herself, frowning.

 

“No.  But you did arrest councilmammal Yarrik’s son.”

 

“He was DUI.”

 

“Even so.   The fact you two aren’t willing to play favorites, it’s made the politician’s angry.  Angry enough to hold you two under a microscope.  Up to this point, I’ve managed to keep you two out of it.   But now…”

 

“Sir, what do you mean now?”  Judy froze, eyes widening.

 

“You two are under investigation by Internal Affairs.”  Nick coughed, narrowly avoiding spraying the last drink he took all over the chief’s desk. 

 

“What?!”   Hopps squeaked, panic blooming in her chest.  Her paws unconsciously raised to her chest, clenching at the spot on her chest where her badge normally sat.

 

“The only reason I even know is because of a favor someone in city hall owed me.”  Bogo raised clenched the bridge of his muzzle eyes closed. “I’m being kept in the dark.  Seems someone has it out for you two.”

 

Nick got his coughing fit under control, and made a rude noise before speaking. “What the hell.  We didn’t do anything illegal!” 

 

“Indeed.” Bogo dropped his hand, and looked to the fox, nostrils flaring. “I would have known if you had.” 

 

“Eeep” Nick considered taking another drink.  A very large one, but returned the over- sized cup to the desk.

 

“Sir. If I could just…” Judy began, but was quickly interrupted.

 

“No Hopps.  Anything you do will merely cast suspicion over you.   The best thing you could do is lie low, take the rest of your sick leave, and stay out of the way.  Up until this point, you’ve ignored my suggestion.  As such, there is only one thing I can think of doing to stop you.”  He downed the rest of the liquor, returned the cup to its drawer, and held out a hand. “Turn over your badges and your guns.”

 

Nick and Judy looked between each other, then back at Bogo. “I’m not taking them, Hopps.  I am securing them to ensure your cooperation.  Let this whole thing blow over.   Get some rest, and once they clear you both, I’ll return them.” He looked them in the eye, muzzle showing the faintest hint of worry. “Please.”

 

Nick sat quietly, shaking his head.  Emotions roiled through his belly.  Disbelief, anger, more than a little anxiety.  But most of all, fear was the prominent emotion.  “Damn it.”  He reached into his pocket, removing the small leather case holding his badge.  He slapped it onto the desk, and then removed his pistol.  It was his for barely more than two days, and already it felt like chopping off a limb.  He removed the magazine, cleared the weapon, and dropped on the chief’s desk.  Turning, he saw his partner fishing her badge out of her pocket.   Her weapon was already on the desk, and after a moment, she managed to remove her badge.  She held it, lightly brushing her paws over its surface.

 

“I’ll take care of it for you Hopps.  Just for a little while.”

 

She nodded, then as if she almost didn’t trust herself to let go, dropped it onto the chief’s desk. A sudden tremor worked through her body, and it looked for a moment as if she was going to snatch the badge back up, but instead, lowered herself back down onto the chair eyes and ears sagging.  Bogo swiped the items into the open drawers, and snapped it shut with all the finality of a coffin lid.

 

“I’ll hold you to that chief.” 

 

He nodded. “Go and get some rest you two.  Let the spooks do their job, and we’ll get you back on the streets in no time.”  The pair, dropped to the ground, and made their way to the door of the chief’s office.  He watched them go, and hoped, not for the last time, that they would heed his advice, and stay out of trouble.

 

* * *

 

 

Shadows played around Justin, as he struggled with his bonds.  He wasn’t sure where he was, but he was pretty sure the drugs he had been given had been laced with something other than the psycotrophics he had been told.  He had been addicted for some time, and when someone offered him a score free of charge, he hadn’t needed to think twice.   The maned wolf was haggard, dirty, and covered in scratches.  Nothing new there.  However, waking up bound to a table was new, and he hoped he hadn’t been up to anything too degrading.

 

“I see you are awake.”  A deep rumble asked from the shadows. “Excellent. That means we can begin.”  Justin tried to look to the source of the voice, but found his head bound to the table with sturdy leather straps. A sound, bright and clear, like that of a tuning fork sounded somewhere behind him. “You are no doubt concerned about what is happening.  But I assure you, that there is nothing to be worried about.”

 

“Oh yeah?  That’s good.”   Fear welled in Justin’s throat, and he tried to swallow past a rising lump.  His mouth was so dry.

 

“Indeed.”  The voice said cheerily, and a new light sprung up in the shadow.  It cast a pale shadow of a hooded figure on the ceiling, just above Justin’s head.  Another sound then came from his right.  A whimper? Just once again tried to turn his head, but was restrained.

 

“ s’there a reason I’m tied up?” His words where slurred, thick with fatigue.

 

“For your own safety.” The voice reassured. “You will be let up in time, once the procedure is complete.”

I spike of fear crept up Justin’s spine, at the tone in his captor’s voice.  Out of the corner of his eye, Justin saw a shadowy figure making a scrapping sound.  It was raspy, like that of a file on steel. “Procedure?”

 

“Yes indeed.  You are very sick Justin, and you need to be inoculated.”  The figure turned, a scalpel in yellow furred paws.   Justin struggled harder, eyes going wide upon seeing the instrument.

 

“What the fuck!” His voice was hollow, and strained with fear.  But then the figure took the scalpel and pricked its own paw, causing a bead of blood to well up.  The figure dropped a bead of blood on the floor.  Followed by another.   Five more times, the blood dropped, and on the last, the figure dropped the scalpel as well. 

 

“There we are.  All better now.”  The figure moved to Justin’s side, and removed the leather band restraining his head.  The light behind the figure caused his hooded face to be shrouded in darkness.  All except for the slits of glowing, feline eyes.

 

“What’s…going on?”  There was that sound again.  Justin, now free to take in the room, saw he was surrounded by a variety of odd objects.  The chiming tuning fork sat by his left elbow.  On his right, was a collection of magazines, all showing pictures of historic predators.    Just past the magazines, was a group of mammals, all bound together with chains around leather collars. “The hell?”

 

The figure snorted. “Prey.”  He said with disgust. “To think, we share this world with them. As equals.” Justin looked back to the figure, to see he was staring intently at him. The figure latched a paw onto the table Justin was bound to, and started dragging it forward, more towards the center of the arranged objects.  “You know” The figure began conversationally, all the while pulling what must have been a considerable amount of weight.  “Once, I actually though of them as our equals.  But time has shown me the lie.   They can’t be.  We hunt them.”

 

“Not… not anymore man.”   Justin started breathing faster.  The figure stopped, and smiled down at him, showing fangs stained yellow. 

 

In answer the figure raised its arms, weaving them as he raised his hooded head.  A warbling cry came from his muzzle, as words Justin didn’t understand echoed throughout the room.  There was something in that voice that caused Justin’s fur to stand up straight, but he couldn’t move.  He was paralyzed with fear.  A sound, like that of heavy canvas tearing echoed through the room, and a small glowing orb appeared in the air above Justin’s head.  The figure turned down, a snuffling sound coming from within the shadowed confines of his hood. “You smell of fear.”  He chuffed, and took a step back, arms disappearing within voluminous sleeves.  “Fear is the emotion of Prey.” 

 

Something stirred above Justin’s head, and his eyes widened as he beheld a nightmare.  It descended onto Justin’s body and sprouted long, tentacle like limbs from its whipcord body.  Its mammalian face let out a tinny roar, and Justin began to scream.  He tried bucking the thing off, but the ropes held him immobile.

 

“Beautiful isn’t it?”  The figure said. “Once I was like you.  Afraid, and weak.  But one night, while walking home, I was attacked by a group of mammals.  They wanted my wallet, but I resisted them. I clawed, and bit, and forced them to submit to my strength.  You should have heard their cries.  Pathetic.  And then, they screamed.  It was the first time I glimpsed a true predator.  It looked at me then, and you know what it saw?  An equal.  A predator.  That’s what we have lost.”   Justin’s screams subsided, and he turned wild eyes to the figure.  The figure smiled, and with one flick of clawed hands, cut the ropes binding him.  The maned wolf turned, lips peeling from fangs as it smelled out the prey animals in the corner. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Please feel free to offer criticism as this is my first writing project in nearly two decades.


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